Douglas H. Higham, 92, of Somerset died on January 10, 2011. He was the husband of the late Marilyn F. (Blagden) Higham.
Douglas was born in New Bedford, the son of the late Thomas and Mary (Mills) Higham. He served his country with the United States Army during WWII in the Pacific Theatre, earning the rank of sergeant.
Since his childhood Douglas had a passion for sailing and building wooden boats. He worked at Crosby Yacht in Osterville for 20 years. He then moved to Martha’s Vineyard where he continued work as a boatbuilder and ship’s carpenter for the Coastwise Packet Company, now Black Dog Tall Ships. He lived in Vineyard Haven until 2001.
Douglas was a sailor as well as a boatbuilder. He cruised regularly out of Vineyard Haven aboard his Herreschoff-designed Meadowlark, a shoal-draft, leeboard ketch. He was very pleased to be able to find secure anchorages in crowded harbors, in the shallow areas where deeper vessels could not go.
He enjoyed many years on the Vineyard with his family and friends. Even after retiring from the boatbuilding trade, he continued to spend his free time building wooden sailboats. He also enjoyed sailing with family and friends around the waters of Cape Cod and the Islands.
In 2001, he and his wife Marilyn moved to Somerset to be closer to their daughter, Sharon. Marilyn died in 2005. He spent the last three years living at Swan Brook in Swansea. Survivors are two sons, William Higham of Oak Bluffs; Thomas Higham of Hyannis; a daughter, Sharon Silvia of Somerset; five grandchildren, Olivia and Marisa Higham, Michael, Chad and Leanna Silva; a sister-in-law, Wilma Baker, and two nieces, Candice Gabbard and Elaine Baker, and their children.
Services for Mr. Higham were private at the request of the family. To light a memorial candle or sign a memorial register go to www.hathawayfunerals.com or call 508-672-3572. All arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Hathaway Community Home for Funerals, 900 Buffinton St., Somerset, MA 02726.
