Walter Alfred Receconi

Walter Alfred Receconi was born on April 30, 1930 at St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma Washington to Walter Francis and Louise Receconi. Walter spent most of his first seven years living in Potlach on Hoods canal. His father worked for the Tacoma Power and Light at the Cushman power plant. He started school at Hoodsport where he met his future wife Grace. They did not meet again for 15 years when Walter was helping his friend Lester coach the RN softball team for Western State Hospital where Grace was a RN. While in high school at Clover Park in Tacoma, Walter joined the Naval Reserve in 1947. After three years in the reserves he joined the Coast Guard. His first duty station was at Aberdeen on the Cutter McLain. He and Grace were married in 1951. He bought his first commercial troller, the Selma, in 1952 while still in the Coast Guard. In 1955 his son Walter was born in Aberdeen where they lived. His second troller, the Seabisquit, was bought in 1955. In 1960 he went to work for the Washington State Dept. of Fisheries in Nahcotta doing oyster research. He later worked in stream improvement and as an observer on the Evergreen pipeline and oil exploration boats. In 1966 he bought another troller/albacore boat, The Salten. In 1969 he started gillnetting with his friend, Frank Dumich. In 1970 he added the Party Doll bow picker. He crab fished with his friend Jim Juomela during this time. In 1974 he built the combination troll, tuna, gillnet and crab boat the Gracie R. In 1978 he and his son built The Cascade, a bow reel gillnet boat. In 1981 he went to Prince William Sound gillnetting. He later traded the Gracie R for the Ocean Thunder gillnet boat. This gave him one boat for Alaska and one to gillnet here. During his life he troll fished in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. He gillnetted the Columbia, Willapa Bay, Puget Sound and Prince William Sound. He also crab fished Oregon and Washington. In retirement he enjoyed helping solve civic matters in Ilwaco. He loved to hunt deer, elk and antelope as well as duck and pheasant hunt in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Montana. He always had English Springer Spaniels and they and Grace were his constant companions. He loved to play cribbage with Grace and his grandson Thomas. Walter is survived by his wife of 63 years, Grace, son, Walter, daughter in law Laura, grandson Thomas and cousin Robert Receconi. At his request, no service is planned.