Herbert E. Hewston; Artist, Yacht Club Founder

Herbert E. Hewston, a founding member of the Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club and an artist whose work is evident throughout the clubhouse, died April 15 in Oxnard of pancreatic cancer. He was 86.

“He was truly our old man of the sea,” said Bob Scott, a fellow yacht club member who knew the white-bearded Hewston for more than 20 years. “He and his wife, Hannah, were some of the founders of the club. His membership number was No. 8 in a club that has over 1,100 membership numbers.”

Hewston was born March 26, 1911, in Pasadena. As a teenager, he built his first boat with his brother and sailed it off Venice Beach.

He never lost his love of the ocean and boating, despite spending 35 years in the desert as photographic engineer for the Naval Weapons Center at China Lake. During his working life, he helped design the photo lab and equipment there.

Hewston was also active in the Lions Club in Ridgecrest.

He met his wife through a computer dating service in April 1968, stipulating on the application that he was looking for a woman who loved yachting and dancing.

The couple went dancing on their first date and decided to marry a year later. They promptly ordered a boat and named it Aprilove.

Upon Hewston’s retirement in April 1975, the couple moved to Ventura County and acquired a trawler they named Aitch, after the letter that was so prevalent in their names.

Then residents of Mandalay Bay, the couple were members of the Channel Islands Yacht Club. When Ventura County decided to open the west channel of Channel Islands Harbor, Hewston became one of the driving forces in finding a site for what would become the Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club in 1976.

Hewston’s presence can be found throughout the club, including his creation of the masthead design of the club’s monthly newsletter, The Periplus, which his wife edited for a decade. He also designed the club’s name tags and built the rack that houses them on the club’s wall, Scott said.

He created the stained-glass club pennant over the bar and the simulated stained-glass windows in the club’s auxiliary dining room, as well as painting portraits of several club members’ boats that still hang in the club, Scott said.

He was an enthusiastic participant in the club’s sailing races and, at his 75th birthday party, he was presented with a sterling silver 1910 sailing trophy that became the Herb Hewston Perpetual Log Racing Trophy.

He gave up his boat several years ago, Scott said, but remained active in the club. Even as an octogenarian, the old salt would don the visor he habitually wore and come to the club daily, ready to varnish a door he believed needed a shine and ensure that all was shipshape.

“You can never replace Herb Hewston,” Scott said.

In addition to his wife, survivors include one daughter, Natalie Meyers of Bishop; one son, Fred L. Hewston of Long Beach; three grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the yacht club. Hewston will be buried at sea.

James A. Reardon Mortuary, Oxnard, is in charge of the arrangements.