Everette R. Hoard, beloved Commodore of the Queen Mary for 40 years, died from cancer at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center in Harbor City on July 17. He was 64.
As the commodore of the stalwart tourist attraction moored off Long Beach’s shoreline, the Alabama native served as the retired British ocean liner’s jovial and authoritative ambassador to the public.
Hoard was known for his deep passion, seafaring knowledge and pure joy for the historic ship. Friends and family all agree he took his role seriously and went above and beyond to make guests feel welcome aboard his craft.
“He was truly larger than life — a man whose unwavering love for God, deep passion for ships and genuine caring for people left a lasting mark on everyone he met. He lived with conviction, kindness, and grace,” said his wife of 30 years, Cynthia Marie Mable Hoard.
“Of all the gifts life gave me, being his wife was the greatest honor,” she added.
“The commodore made me feel so welcome with his big smile and warm approach to educating me on this historic and glorious ship, ” said Steve Caloca, Managing Director of Evolution Hospitality at The Queen Mary.
“He also said that the Queen Mary is alive and we need to take good care of her. I took that to heart,” Caloca added.
“Hoard’s southern charm combined with his affection for the ship made him perfectly suited as its commodore.” Richard Villa, former tour guide at Queen Mary, said during a telephone interview. Hoard relocated from Alabama to Long Beach in 1982.
Villa holds the record for purchasing a ticket to tour the ship 247 times before he was hired as a guide in the 1970s. According to Villa, Hoard took his first tour of the Queen Mary shortly after moving to Long Beach in 1980.
Hoard was hired in 1982 at the Queen Mary Toy and Hobby shop on board, where he honed his knowledge of the iconic ship. He later worked in the ship’s shell shop. Villa commented that after Captain John Gregory departed, there was a void that Hoard filled. He next worked in the wedding chapel and then moved on to the tour department.
Recently, Hoard arranged for two large 8-foot-long ship models to be transported and displayed on board the ship — one of Queen Mary and another of his favorite ship, the Queen Elizabeth.
“Through the years, the privilege of calling him friend has rendered too many blessings to count,” said model ship-builder Tom Varney via text from his home in Alaska.
Varney, who enjoyed strolling the decks in lockstep with Hoard, said there must be a million photos of the commodore as he would stop whatever he was doing to pose with Queen Mary visitors of all ages.
“To be in his presence was to elevate my game,” Varney said, “as his wit was unmatched.”
Walking the length of the Promenade Deck with Hoard could grow to a half-day event as people were drawn to his smile and iconic uniform, Varney said.
“They would approach for a photo op and leave as a friend. Asking him for directions to the nearest restroom would often involve a joke or two. ‘Don’t make me laugh,’ people would say, ‘I really have to go!””
“I loved him like my own son,” said June Allen, who sailed on Queen Mary in 1946 as a war bride, during a phone interview. Hoard visited her Indiana home a half-dozen times, she said, and she visited him aboard the Queen Mary 26 times. In October of 2023, he officiated at her grandson’s wedding in Indiana.
Allen paraphrased one of Hoard’s favorite quotes: The gift of time was the greatest gift of all.
In November 2015, Cunard Lines — which operated the Queen Mary as a cruise ship largely on the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 — hosted a special trip commemorating Allen’s 1946 voyage. The duo first flew to London and met up with 12 of Allen’s British relatives before boarding the Queen Mary 2 as guest speakers for the transatlantic trek.
Allen noted she has sailed on a Cunard ship twice — and didn’t pay either time.
Cunard’s Jackie Chase, who worked on the “Royal Rendezvous,” fondly recalled when Queen Mary 2 came alongside the Queen Mary in February 2006. The event was the first meeting between a modern Cunard passenger ship and the Long Beach maritime icon. That meetup sparked several more “Royal Rendezvous” events with sister Cunard ships Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, with the latter calling into Long Beach in 2015, the year of Cunard’s 175th Anniversary.
In addition to Hoard’s involvement with these events, he also conceived and spearheaded the creation of “The Cunard Room” on The Queen Mary, Illustrating both the history and modern story of the company, and the historic role that the ship played during Cunard’s nearly two-century legacy.
Hoard also shared his love for The Queen Mary on several Cunard voyages, providing popular and engaging lectures before standing room only audiences.
“While Everette was never employed by Cunard, I believe that the company could not have asked for a more authentic, genuine and enthusiastic brand ambassador, one who truly revered the rich and storied heritage of The Queen Mary and of Cunard, and who understood their deep impact on maritime innovation and world events” Jackie Chase, retired Director of Public Relations for Cunard North America, wrote in a text.
“He was and always will be an indelible thread in the tapestry of Cunard and of The Queen Mary,” Chase said.
A celebration of life is planned on board the ship sometime in August. A website has been created for fans to post their memories at www.queenmary.com/commodorehoard.htm.
Hoard’s father, who served in the U.S. Navy and stoked his son’s appreciation of ships, preceded his son in death in 2019.
Hoard is survived by his wife, Cynthia Marie Mable Hoard, whom she met in Long Beach. She suggested in lieu of flowers that donations be made for restoration efforts on board the Queen Mary.
Cindy Hoard shared the last command Captain Treasure Jones gave while commanding the Queen Mary as the entered Long Beach for its final assignment and felt those words would be fitting at the end of Hoard’s life: “Finished with Engines.”