The H. Lee White Maritime Museum named Ned and Gail Goebricher as its 2023 Volunteers of the Year during its annual Volunteer Reception last November. The Oswego couple was recognized for their dedication to the restoration of the Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse and their involvement with the museum, in particular with its lighthouse boat tours.

“Gail and Ned have been excellent museum advocates, helping to preserve our history and promote the maritime museum,” said H. Lee White Maritime Museum Executive Director Mercedes Niess. “We’re grateful for all they have done – and continue to do – to support our maritime heritage.”

Gail Goebricher added, “People should support it by volunteering, donating and becoming museum members.”

Goebricher (née Luke) grew up in Oswego’s First Ward near Lake Street and the local U.S. Coast Guard Station. Her family has a long history with the waterfront.

“My uncle, John Connolly, worked with the Army Corps of Engineers to build the breakwater and the lighthouse that stands today,” she said. Gail added that she also had an uncle, Ben Busher, who worked at the old Coast Guard station.

Her husband Ned grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio and loved being around Lake Erie as a child. His neighbor was a ship’s captain during World War II, so he spent time down at the docks with the captain’s family, which lead him to enlist with the U.S. Coast Guard at age 17 during the Korean War.

The two met when she worked at Whalen’s Drug Store in the late 1950s. Gail remembers, “He liked the way I made milkshakes.” She said that Ned asked if he could walk her to her Van Buren Street home, which was the start of their 60-plus year relationship.

Ned was stationed in Oswego in 1955 and spent the following year as one of three lighthouse keepers for the U.S. Coast Guard. He was then stationed at Galloo Island near Sackets Harbor in Jefferson County. He spent 23 months there before his service with the Coast Guard ended. When he had difficulty finding work back home in Ashtabula, Ned returned to Oswego. He took a job at SUNY Oswego and he and Gail were married on August 15, 1959.

Gail worked at Northern Steel for 25 years before opening her own business, Precisely Yours Business Services, in downtown Oswego. Meanwhile, Ned worked as a stationary engineer at SUNY Oswego in the heating plant. Throughout this time, Gail volunteered at Fort Ontario State Historic Site and worked with the Oswego Chamber of Commerce running its farmers’ market. She said she started volunteering at the Maritime Museum “many, many moons ago.”

When the museum was notified that the lighthouse was up for sale, a group of concerned citizens got together to save the landmark. Naturally, Ned and Gail Goebricher were among those residents. The group convinced the city of Oswego to purchase the lighthouse and lease it to the museum to act as its steward. The group then started restoring the lighthouse close to its original state.

“We both love the lighthouse and everything it stands for,” Gail explained. “A wonderful group of people put their hearts and souls into the restoration, and we are happy to be a part of that.”

Ned likes to joke that through all the painting and scraping, he probably “took off the paint I put on there 50 years ago.”

With a great deal of the restoration completed, the museum runs lighthouse tours Fridays and Saturdays, June through September. Most weekends, people will find Gail sitting at a table on the porch of the city’s Wright’s Landing welcome center, checking in passengers as they arrive for their scheduled tours. Then she sends them off on the museum’s “Honored Six” pontoon boat to meet Ned, who volunteers as a guide at the lighthouse.

Ned is a man of few words, but he shares stories of his time working as a keeper and answers many questions about his service with the U.S. Coast Guard. He likes to talk about how technology has changed since he first arrived here, which fascinates kids and adults alike.

“Ned and Gail put their hearts and passion into everything they do for the Oswego community,” said Niess. “Their commitment to the restoration of the Oswego Lighthouse and running the tours has earned them not only the gratitude of museum staff, its board of trustees and their fellow volunteers, but now the honor of Volunteers of the Year.”

For more information about the H. Lee White Maritime Museum, including volunteer opportunities, visit www.hlwmm.org or facebook.com/hlwmm or call 315-342-0480.

GOEBRICHERS HONORED – The H. Lee White Maritime Museum named Ned and Gail Goebricher as its 2023 Volunteers of the Year. The couple was recognized for their volunteerism with the museum, including the lighthouse boat tours, and for their dedication to the restoration of the Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse. Pictured is H. Lee White Maritime Museum Executive Director Mercedes Niess presenting Ned and Gail Goebricher with their award at the annual Volunteer Reception. Photo by Mark McManus.