Richard Wickboldt, one brother among four who sailed in the American merchant marine, died recently in Michigan. His brother, George, 24, died on the Marine Electric. Another Wickboldt son, Steven, was killed in 1982 in an explosion aboard the ship Golden Dolphin. After Georges death, his parents, having lost two sons to the sea and having two sons still at sea, asked Richard to leave the merchant marine, which he did, but as noted below answered an emergency call from SUNY in 2014 to man a training cruise.
My sincere sympathies to the Wickboldt family.
No obituary information is yet available, but here is Bill Hallorans remembrance.
This from Bill Halloran Class of 1982, SUNY MARITIME
I have sad news to pass along. I received correspondence from the Wickboldt family that Richard Wickboldt, SUNY Maritime class of 1976, had suddenly passed away last weekend. Rich lived in Ann Arbor, MI with his wife and daughter. The family was in the process of planning for a service to be conducted in Ann Arbor MI this weekend. The family indicated that they will eventually arrange for another service in New York sometime in the future and they will let me know the details at that time. That is all I have to report at this time.
I recently went out to dinner with Richard, the night before his 40th class of 1976 reunion, on Thursday September 29th. All was well, he was busy with work, planning for his daughters college next year, and caring for his parents in NH with frequent visits.
My Memories of Richard Wickboldt My name is William J. Halloran Jr.. I was George Wickboldts classmate at SUNY Maritime College from 1978-1982. I first met Richard Wickboldt way back in 1979 during our MUG SUNY Maritime College training cruise when he was the much feared Watch Engineer. I distinctly remember being in the lower engine room on watch with George. Both of us were in our boiler coveralls, drenched in sweat, face to face, wavering from the intense heat and the roll of the ship. I asked George if the rumor was true&&was that guy &. the Watch Engineer his brother?? George just stood there with a sort of a half smile & half grin and said yeah . For some reason, I then felt a bit safer minus the fear but still somewhat on guard . Richard had the reputation of being the Sgt. Stryker type of the engine room (as played by John Wayne Sands of Iwo Jima). Richard was flunking some of the upper class men for their watch grades on cruise. Watch Engineer Wickboldt news stories among the cadets would spread like wild fire daily on the ship.
After a very long period of time, we crossed paths again, as shipmates for three months during the SUNY Maritime College Summer training cruise in 2014. On a very short notice (few days till departure) we both answered an emergency call from the school to fill MT slots on the ships billet. We reunited in the officers mess upon reporting on board for duty. We worked together training the cadets- Richard was an Engineering Training Instructor & I was the Watch Engineer. We were task masters of the engineering cadets keeping in step with the traditions of the school as we had known them to be. That was our reference point, plain & simple. The irony was that the modern day SUNY Maritime was not what it was back in our day, so we were in shock just as much as the cadets were from us. There were many twists and turns making the cruise very interesting, challenging and rewarding for the both of us. We both got along well like brothers who never were separated. Our minds thought alike in many aspects. Connected without the cord. For jokes, laughs, etc&everything. Richs mind was as sharp as ever pertaining to all things engine room. We shared together many sea stories, life experiences, opinions, we learned from each other&&and from the cadets. We also met many different alumni, officers and ships staff whom added to the great training endeavor.
Rich enjoyed very much being out to sea again. It was definitely his calling. That life style fit him well&..and he had missed it so much. His sea going career (1976-1983) occurred at the end of a great era for shipping-out in a much different world from the present day.
Im glad I answered the telephone on the day I got the call from Conrad Youngren and the push from my wife to go on the 2014 training cruise. Initially I had replied no. Since the cruise; we had our lil reunions, kept in touch on the phone and exchanged email. We texted often.
In retrospect, the greatest gift for me is I now know what the experience would have been like to have had an older brother by being Rich Wickboldts shipmate for the last two and a half years. And I will miss him as such.
FMSAA