Reefs and Shoals

This one is for a dear, longtime friend,

Bob Enrione

February 5th, 1947-June 28th, 2011

We never actually met face-to-face, but back in the misty mid-90s he called me one night to talk about the series as a fan, first, which turned into hours’ long almost weekly chats about everything; the Great Age of Sail, naval history in general, social customs and scandals of the times, food (he cooked lobscouse, spotted dog, and sea-pies!), and the eccentricities of the British and the characters of the Royal Navy.

Bob was a U.S. Navy diver and Vietnam veteran who ended up traveling the world with CBS News, knew a bit about anything that caught his mind, so he had a wealth of stories about world leaders he’d met, and the gossip about our media celebrities was priceless, too.

He retired in early 2011 and was looking forward to a lot of things, including a novel of his own and a compendium of his historical naval essays.

I, his wife, Jackie, his family and friends, will miss him most sorely… and that voice on the phone.