The Final Gift
In memory of Sue Kaanta, who would have celebrated her 66th birthday April 10, 2011.
Sue Kaanta succumbed to cancer in June of 2010. Her involvement in realizing a Seward mariners’ memorial remained steadfast even after her death, with a living trust donation to the project that enabled the committee to leap forward with the anticipation of breakup and the beginning of construction this spring.
What better legacy to receive from one so dedicated to seeing our mariners’ memorial to fruition.
There are no medical tests, but Sue was born with saltwater in her blood. As a child, she sailed the San Juan Islands near her home in Anacortes. Graduating with a degree in communications from the University of Washington, the call of the sea proved more powerful.
Sue came to Seward in 1982 and worked as an off-shore bull cook for Stateside Catering before hiring on with Amoco Oil as a roustabout. She worked the oil platforms for five years until she chose to sail south with the love of her life. Together, she and Norm sailed the Pacific Coast and Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. Sue cared for her elderly father in Washington until his death, after which she returned to Seward. Between working at the harbormaster’s office and Sailing Inc, she became active in the Seward Mariners’ Memorial committee; committed to witnessing the growth of a memorial from the seeds she had helped plant so many years earlier.
Landlocked for too many years, Sue dreamed of owning her own boat. After months of searching for just the right fit, Sue and the M/V Morning Star began their journey to Seward up the Inside Passage from Seattle in 2009. Mechanical problems forced the initial leg of the journey to halt in Sitka. Sue returned home with anticipation of returning the following spring to bring her boat home.
Fate had other plans. The Morning Star arrived in Seward via barge, her master too ill to take the helm. The Morning Star, skippered by friends, carried Sue’s ashes to her final resting place in Resurrection Bay last year.
The Seward Mariners’ Memorial will honor those whose legacy remains with the sea – with Sue Kaanta at the helm.
Hot News
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The annual "Blessing of the Fleet" takes place at the future site of the Seward Mariners' Memorial during Harbor Opening in May. The ancient tradition takes place both here and in ports all over the world |
About The Project
Harmon Construction put the finishing touches on the lighthouse/widow's walk at the end of 2011, which stands as the focal point of the project and completes Phase 1. Subsequent phases will include a compass rose, ship's bell, wave wall and landscaping with benches, vegetation etc. We also hope to include informative murals, artistic enhancements, and a statue of a woman looking out to sea on the upper floor of the lighthouse. It is the committee's desire to dedicate a section of the memorial site to the 1964 earthquake victims and other historic maritime events that have occurred in proximity to Seward.
Final completion date is targeted for late 2013.
Commemorative plaques are now available for purchase to honor loved ones and to be placed at various locations on the site. Click Here to download the Plaque Order Form.