There have been few times in the 40-plus years of Commercial Fisheries News<\/i> that we have set aside this space to honor a fallen colleague.<\/p>\n
To do so is to risk slighting so many others who have passed without the special recognition.<\/p>\n
But I could not let the sudden loss this month of industry icon Pat White go by without a few words, from me, straight from the heart.<\/p>\n
There are others who knew Pat and his contributions to our industry \u2013 our community \u2013 far better than I.\u00a0 So, forgive me.<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t say that I knew Pat well, I didn\u2019t.\u00a0 But I knew him, liked him, and respected him as an industry colleague for more than 30 years.<\/p>\n
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Pat and I served together on the board of the Maine Fishermen\u2019s Forum some years ago.\u00a0 During that period, the board was dominated by a few big personalities, big egos, big voices.<\/p>\n
It was in that setting that I saw Pat White do what he did best.<\/p>\n
He was a statesman.\u00a0 A gentleman.\u00a0 A good listener.\u00a0 A negotiator.\u00a0 And the one you could always count on to bring the discussion back to the point that mattered, propose a resolution, and then move on.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t get me wrong.\u00a0 Pat was no shrinking violet.\u00a0 If you tried his patience long enough, he could deliver a caustic sentence or two that would almost peel paint.\u00a0 Another skill that served him well, I believe \u2013 on the water, or in the boardroom.<\/p>\n
As executive director of the Maine Lobstermen\u2019s Association, Pat earned a well-deserved reputation for serving his constituency vigorously, even fiercely at times, but always with dignity.<\/p>\n
He knew how to get things done, but refused to resort to bullying to do it.<\/p>\n
When he was asked to represent commercial fishing interests on an oceans commission initiated by the Pew Charitible Trusts, there were those who criticized Pat for crossing over to the dark side.\u00a0 He knew that.<\/p>\n
But it was his view at the time, later reinforced by his service, that fishermen need to be more effective at educating those who don\u2019t understand or oppose our industry \u2013 and that we always need to take a seat at the table.<\/p>\n
I could not agree more.<\/p>\n
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The news of Pat\u2019s sudden passing hit me hard.<\/p>\n
I had just seen him at the Forum in March when he came by and sat a spell in our booth.<\/p>\n
Beyond our professional relationship, Pat and I shared an additional common bond \u2013 widowers who had lost our lifelong spouses and soulmates.<\/p>\n
We talked about that.\u00a0 And about getting on with life.<\/p>\n
Pat had reconnected with a woman from his high school years and had refound his passion for skiing.\u00a0 He was thinking he\u2019d continue to fish for a few more years, maybe not quite as hard, but would keep going to haul because he felt good and liked to keep busy.<\/p>\n
At 76, he looked a good 10 years younger, and \u2013 maybe it was just me \u2013 seemed to be really happy to be embracing this next chapter of his life.\u00a0 And dammit, he sure deserved it.<\/p>\n
But life doesn\u2019t always work that way.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why you need to savor every single minute.<\/p>\n
Every one of them.\u00a0 I think Pat would agree.<\/p>\n
And so now the final curtain goes down on a class act.<\/p>\n
Pat White, an elegant man.<\/p>\n
We will miss you.<\/p>\n
Rick Martin<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There have been few times in the 40-plus years of Commercial Fisheries News that we have set aside this space to honor a fallen colleague. To do so is to risk slighting so many others who have passed without the special recognition. But I could not let the sudden loss this month of industry icon … <\/p>\n