Lennith Lee Groves was born June 26, 1912 and lived his childhood in the Manor Lake Precinct in Snohomish County, Wash. He went to school in Mukilteo and with his two younger brothers, helped his father clear their land to farm.
In 1931 Len joined the United States Coast Guard as a Seaman 1st Class and was stationed aboard the USCG Cygan. In 1933 he was transferred to the USCGC Itasca where he and his shipmates were involved in guarding the Alaskan coastline, boarding ships violating navigational laws and participating in Bering Sea patrols. In June of 1937, Len and the Itasca were ordered out to the Pacific Islands to stand guard duty in connection with Amelia Earharts flight from New Guinea to Honolulu. The ship and its men visited the Hawaiian Islands, Howland Island, Baker Island and other islands during this tour of duty. In January of 1940, while Len was still aboard, the Itasca began a two month diplomatic Good Will Tour to Mexico, Panama and other Central American countries.
A few years later Len was transferred to the USCGC White Holly, a coastal buoy tender and was stationed in Ketchikan, Alaska, for the last 20 years or so of his 30-plus year Coast Guard career. He and the men under his command on the White Holly performed assists and rescues of ships in distress off the Alaskan coastline, assisted in bringing the Standard Oil Refinery fire under control in 1952, maintained all the many buoys in their jurisdiction and hunted and fished as much as duty and time would allow. Len was a working captain and never asked his men to do any task he had not done, or would not do himself. It was this sense of fairness, as well as his honesty and integrity that earned him the respect of those who served with him, as well as his way around a fry pan and a freshly caught Cutthroat trout.
On the day before his retirement in 1961 as a Chief Warrant Officer 3, Len left Alaska for Portland to take his final physical. On the way he was involved in a serious automobile accident that left his left side paralyzed. Because his recovery progressed slowly, he was told by his doctors that hed never walk again. Len, being as strong willed as he was, had already determined he would walk again as well as run, ride a bicycle and drive. When he was released from the hospital he returned home to Marysville to continue his recovery and within four months he was walking again. It was several years later that he was finally able to ride that bicycle and drive again. Official retirement from United States Coast Guard was in 1966.
Len married the love of his life, Gladys Morrison in the summer of 1978. They lived in Marysville and lead active lives within their community of friends and family. Len and Gladys traveled together and deeply enjoyed each others company. Their happy marriage continued until Gladys death in Marysville in January of 2003.
Len was a member of the Snohomish branch of the VFW, Post 921 Gay Jones and became the Post Commander.
Lennith Lee Groves passed away quietly on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2006.
He is survived by two nieces and two grand-nephews.
Grave-side memorial services in his honor will be performed by Post 921 of the VFW on Monday, Jan. 8, 2007 at 1 p.m. at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Everett, Wash.