Don DeSantis, the last founding member of the Boston Sea Rovers, passed away last week at the age of 89.
DeSantis was one of the original six members of the club and had been actively involved with the organization until retiring from the Board of Directors in 2016. He served as the club president and/or officer for many years throughout the organization’s first several decades, and had been a leader behind the scenes on the Board of Directors for the past thirty-plus years.
Board member Dave Morton wrote on the group’s Facebook page:
“We were lucky to have such a quiet and strong guiding hand behind the scenes, and he his loss will surely be missed, but he will not be forgotten.”
Last year, the club’s Board of Directors unanimously awarded him the 2017 Walter Feinberg Diver of the Year. Morton wrote:
“True to Don’s steadfast wishes of remaining behind the scenes, we needed to work the award in such a way as to recognize all Rovers before he would even consider accepting it.”
Check out the full announcement of DeSantis’ death on the Boston Sea Rovers Facebook page.
And to learn more about the Boston Sea Rovers’ history, check out the group’s website at bostonsearovers.com.