Earl Couch

Earl Couch of Fairhaven, MA has died at age 98 on December 27, 2019 at The Royal Fairhaven nursing facility. He was a World War II United States Navy veteran. Born in Russell County, Virginia, he grew up in Clinchfield, West Virginia. He was the husband of the late Jennie (Bell) Couch. They had been married for 64 years.

He was the son of the late “Doc” Snowden Couch and Nellie (Musick) Couch. A long time resident of New Bedford, Earl was known as a quiet man, dedicated to his family and his Christian faith. He was a long time member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church of New Bedford, serving the church as a deacon and treasurer. Earl was active in sharing his faith with others, giving Bible studies and providing the reasons for his Christian faith.

In 1940, at age 18, Earl decided to join the Navy. He and two of his friends walked most of the 50 miles to Bluefield, Virginia to sign up. Only Earl was accepted. He was sent to Norfolk, Virginia and spent 16 weeks in boot camp and then eight weeks at electrician school. In 1941 he was assigned to the ship U.S.S. Mayo, a destroyer which stayed along the north Atlantic and then would go out on patrol for two or three weeks looking for German submarines. On occasion they would help to escort a convoy of ships to Iceland a few hundred miles and then come back. But the major heroic efforts of the crew of the Mayo took place in 1944 off the coast of Anzio, Italy. An invasion force was sent to land at Anzio to attack the rear of the German’s right flank. To keep the Nazi’s from reinforcing their infantry units, Naval gunfire was necessary. One of the first destroyers to give assistance at Anzio was the USS Mayo. Earl was aboard the Mayo at this time. Sending a continuous barrage of gunfire wherever needed, the Germans were moving artillery pieces up to the Anzio beaches, forcing the American landings to be pushed closer into the sea. The Mayo, seeing the imminent danger of a German counterattack, shifted her 5 in. guns toward the bridge and halted German troop movement across the Mussolini Canal, keeping the Germans from counterattacking across the Canal. During the battle, the Mayo hit a mine, creating an explosion which resulted in a huge gaping hole in her starboard side, and causing major damage to the ship. With the loss of 6 men killed, one missing, and 25 wounded, the crew desperately battled to save the ship. Though almost broken in two, the Mayo was kept above water and towed to Naples for temporary repairs for one month. Outstanding damage control efforts and the courage of her crew, saved the Mayo to fight another day. The USS Mayo went stateside for permanent repairs and modernization in New York, and gained her second battle star. Most of the ship’s crew were discharged and Earl was one of them.

During the War, while stationed in Melville, RI, Earl met his future wife Jennie at the Lincoln Park ballroom. They dated for only a few months before Earl was deployed aboard the USS Mayo, going to Casablanca in North Africa and Londonderry, Ireland, and later Anzio, Italy. He was also stationed in Guam as well for approximately 2 years. During this time, Earl and Jennie wrote many letters to each other for roughly 2 years. After his discharge from the Navy they were married on August 4, 1946 at the Greek Orthodox Church in New Bedford.

Earl worked in his father-in-law’s diner, Gus’s Diner, on Acushnet Ave. in New Bedford for a brief period of time, learning the restaurant business and culinary skills. He worked in a number of restaurants in the New Bedford area, one of them being the College Grill, where he managed and was the chef of the restaurant. Located on Purchase St. in New Bedford, the Grill served many college students in the early 1960’s who were attending Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute (SMTI) located across the street from the restaurant. SMTI is now UMass Dartmouth. During the summer months the Grill was closed and Earl spent summers working as the chef at Giordano’s Italian Restaurant in Martha’s Vineyard.

He later went on to be the chef for Our Lady’s Chapel in downtown New Bedford; the chef at Bishop Stang High School in Dartmouth; and at Sacred Heart Nursing Home on Summer St. in New Bedford. He was an excellent chef, making the most delicious cheese rolls, fish and chips, and many other dishes and desserts that his customers and residents loved. He would make everything from scratch, using the best ingredients. Residents at the nursing home would worry if they stayed too long in the hospital that they would not be able to go back to the home to eat the dishes that Earl prepared. Earl retired in the mid-1980’s from the Sacred Heart Nursing Home. Not too long afterwards, he became a school bus driver for the city of New Bedford and did this for several years.

Earl loved to garden. He had a large vegetable garden every summer and was known for sharing the bounty with his family, neighbors, and friends. He also was an avid reader, studying the Bible and many other books on Christianity and history. Earl had a love of animals - cats, dogs, birds. He would rescue birds fallen from their nest or hurt and nurse them back to health, stray dogs and cats that he would help to find good homes for, and, over the years, also providing his own home along with his wife Jennie, to a number of stray cats, kittens, and dogs. In his retirement years he volunteered for CARE Southcoast, now located in Acushnet, MA, for a few years, along with his granddaughter Heidi and his daughter Patty.

He is survived by his daughter, Patty (Couch) Hiscock and her husband Lee Hiscock of New Bedford; a brother, Harold Couch of Michigan; four grandchildren, Heidi (Harribine) Clark and her husband Justin Clark of Attleboro, Matthew Hiscock of Rehoboth, Amanda (Hiscock) Ramtahal of Michigan, and Amber (Hiscock) Lugo and her husband Randy Lugo of Indiana; as well as many nieces, nephews, and great grandchildren. Earl was a man of integrity, and will be loved forever by his family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Earl’s memory to Care Southcoast, PO Box 149, East Freetown, MA 02717.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, January 1, 2020 from 2:00 to 4:00PM with a memorial service at 3:30PM in the WARING-SULLIVAN HOME at DARTMOUTH, 230 Russells Mills Road, S. Dartmouth, MA 02748. Relatives and friends are invited. Burial will Thursday, January 2, 2020 at 10:00AM in the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Connery Ln., Bourne, MA 02665. To leave a note of condolence; www.waring-sullivan.com