Capt. JOHN E LERRO died at his home in Tampa, Florida, on August 31, 2002 following a 21-year battle with multiple sclerosis. He was 59 years old and is survived by his wife Laila, a son Charles, and step¬daughter Angel.
Until the early 1970s, Capt. Lerro sailed on ships under contract to the Masters Mates & Pilots, rising to ship's master. He then qualified to guide ships through the Panama Canal. In 1976, he began guiding ships from the Gulf of Mexico 58 miles up Tampa Bay to dock them in the Port of Tampa.
Capt. Lerro was struck with MS in 1980 and could no longer climb a pilot ladder. He then taught for a time at SUNY Maritime College. Later he got a masters in counseling and volunteered for a crisis hotline and a center for criminals.
FMSAA