Thomas Benjamin Washburn Jr.

Tom passed away at his home December 10, 2010 at 4:20 a.m. in the arms of his beloved wife, Rose. He was born June 10, 1928. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Rose; daughters, Janet, Carol, and Emily; grandsons, Spencer, Eric, Timothy, and Benjamin; and granddaughters, Kelsey and Katelyn. Tom has been a resident of the South Bay since 1959. In addition to being a real estate developer, Tom was the former owner of three restaurants, including Fisherman's Haven and Four Kitchens, and two tackle shops on the Fisherman's Wharf and a flight training center at Torrance Airport. He belonged to the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and was president of the Fisherman's Wharf Association. Among many other achievements, Tom earned the Young Man of the Year Award in 1961. He was an unusual entrepreneur. He also was a real estate broker and developer for 35 years with no marks against his record. Since he was a young boy, Tom never stopped working or exploring new things, even in spite of the many potentially fatal illnesses that plagued his life. He encouraged those around him to do likewise. Tom's passion was flying. Nobody was ever turned down for an airplane ride. Many of his employees were treated to lunch at Catalina's Airport in the Sky. One day he decided he wanted to cross the Atlantic in his Cessna so he did when he participated in the Transatlantic Air Rally. He wanted to live with his airplanes, so he built an airpark in Arizona. When not working on flying airplanes, Tom enjoyed riding his dune buggy in the desert, exploring abandoned gold mines and sitting down for hours playing Canasta with his wife, daughters, and grandsons. He usually won of course. He will be remembered for his love of family and friends, his generosity and boundless energy, his unusual sense of humor, his striking blue eyes, his fantastic cooking, the Christmas parties he hosted, his remarkable leadership skills, honesty, his forgiving nature, unpretentious quality, and amazing fearless ability to overcome the most difficult of obstacles. Many of his customers will remember him fishing through the bar window at Fisherman's Haven or socializing with the morning coffee customers at Four Kitchens on the pier. He loved to travel the world and soak up the culture and history everywhere he went. He imparted his spirit to those who knew him, and they have never forgotten it. Tom was and forever will be an unforgettable man. A private family celebration of Tom's life will be held in the near future.