- Date Of Birth: April 28, 1937
- Date Of Death: June 20, 2021
- State: Massachusetts
William “Papa” Ogg-Retired lobsterman, William Ogg, passed away after battling ALS on Father’s Day surrounded by family at the age of on April 28, 1937 in his parents’ home on Taylor Ave on White Horse Beach to Andrew E. Ogg of Scotland and Belle (McCaull) Ogg of Boston. William, the youngest of six children, spent his childhood and early adulthood on White Horse Beach where he met his first love, the ocean. As he grew up, he worked raking for sea moss and at the bowling alley and even saved the lives of two young boys from drowning just off shore. William met his second love his wife, Barbara (Hamblin) through Ernest Hamblin, his future father-in-law whom he worked alongside as a lobsterman. They were married 59 years until her death in 2018. He began working alongside his father-in-law in his late teens as a lobsterman and learned to navigate the ocean without the use of modern technology and only relied on his compass. His knowledge of the lobstering was as deep as the ocean and established by his continuous respect and understanding of the ocean and nature. In 1969, he discovered an entangled 800 lb. leatherback turtle off Manomet Point. With the assistance of other fishing vessels, they were able to bring the turtle to shore where rehabilitators from the New England Aquarium took over. Despite their efforts the turtle unfortunately did not survive, but its skeleton was displayed for decades as a learning tool for future generations of braved weather conditions that others wouldn’t dare and was back in the marina before most of the fleet had left it. William was described in a 1979 article in Cape Cod Life magazine as having “earned a reputation for being one of the hardest fishermen in Sandwich.” He took pride in his Scottish heritage and honored it by naming the first boat he had built as the ‘Scotsmen’. He held the Ogg last name in high regard by working hard and tirelessly. William’s love and respect for the ocean extended decades until he was forced to retire at the age of only thing that exceeded this love was the love he had for his grandchildren, grand dogs and great-grandchildren. Known to his grandchildren as ‘Papa’ he enjoyed sharing his experiences, teaching them what he knew, and making the times they spent together memorable. He was so proud of their achievements and showed it with his laugh, smile and a single tear of joy at every birth, sporting achievement, chorus concert and other proud moments. After the loss of his wife and retirement he continued to stay active by caring for his grand dogs Spanky, Tubby, Benjamin and Echo, baking cookies for the grandchildren, participating in local Trunk-or-Treats and making small ornamental buoys. William milled his own lumber from wood cut down in his yard to make his buoys so that they were handcrafted from start to finish. He sold them at craft fairs and was commissioned by several businesses for custom orders. He enjoyed going to Landfall for clam strips with his granddaughter, Macy and viewing the boat traffic from the table while simultaneously sharing stories of his time on the ocean.Despite a recent ALS diagnosis, William continued to work just as hard adapting to changes with the same intuitive thinking and problem solving, he used throughout his life. William was courageous in light of the circumstances and was determined to see it through so that he could teach his grandchildren and healthcare workers about the disease. He understood what it meant, but if it could benefit his grandchildren and others in the future to get closer to a cure, he was happy to oblige. He leaves behind his 8 grandchildren, Macy and her husband Shayne, Austin, Taylor, Alexa, Andrew, Jesse, Jeremy and his wife Alex, Josh, and Chelsea. And his 4 great-grandchildren Emmy, Jameson, Lena and Noah. The family would especially like to express their gratitude to Elaina and Jessica of Beacon Hospice and Dr. Sheena Chew of the Healey Center for ALS of Mass General.
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