More detail on this person: Naples - Captain Wayne Hasson of Naples, FL, passed away on January 17 at Avow Hospice at age 70. Wayne was a family man, Marine, SCUBA Diver extraordinaire and instructor, boat captain, pilot, world traveler and true pioneer in the SCUBA diving industry. Wayne was born in Columbus, Ohio, lived in the Cayman Islands for 20 years, then settled in Naples, FL in 1999. Wayne fell in love with the sea at an early age while living at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. There he learned boating, diving, fishing, and boat building. He studied business and accounting at East Carolina University. Wayne was a proud U.S. Marine serving from 1970 - 1978, including a tour to the Far East supporting operations in Vietnam and service aboard USS Okinawa assisting in the evacuation of Saigon. After the Marines, he moved to the Cayman Islands where he managed "Casa Bertmar" Dive Resort and met his wife Anne. In 1984, Wayne, and his partners founded the Cayman Aggressor (liveaboard dive yacht), which Wayne captained, growing it to become the Aggressor Fleet and today is known as Aggressor Adventures, with luxury yachts at the best dive locations around the world. In addition to being a founder, he served as President of the company until his passing. Wayne's passion was to introduce and inspire youth around the world to explore, understand and respect the ocean and its inhabitants through diving, ocean education and conservation. He was a private pilot and encouraged countless children and teens to fly through the Young Eagles program. Wayne served on numerous company boards and business groups, including President of the Cayman Islands Watersports Assoc., Vice President of the Sister Islands Tourism Assoc., Diving Equipment & Marketing Assoc. Board of Directors, Cayman Islands Hurricane Relief Team, Sea of Change Foundation, Oceans for Youth Foundation, Friends of Rookery Bay, and the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles Club Advisory Board. Wayne received numerous awards over the years, including: Beneath the Sea "Legend Award," "Pioneer Award," and "Diver of the Year - Environment Award,"; SCUBA Schools International "Platinum Pro 5000 Recognition Award"; Rotary Foundation "Paul Harris Fellow Award"; and was inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame. Wayne was an active member of the Naples Pelican Bay Rotary Club and the Naples Marine Corps League, E.T. Brisson Detachment, and donated much of his time to ocean conservation and civic service. Wayne is survived by his wife Anne and children Davis, Caroline, Jennifer, Christina and Michelle. A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, January 25th at North Naples Church, 6000 Goodlette-Frank Rd., Naples, FL 34109 following with a Celebration of Life party at their home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to: Sea of Change Foundation, https://seaofchange.com/donate-2/ (Wayne Hasson Scholarship Fund), 209 Hudson Trace, Augusta, Georgia, 30907, to help fund a Master's level educational scholarship to an individual pursuing a lifetime career in ocean conservation. To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store. Published in Naples Daily News from Jan. 20 to Jan. 24, 2020.
This information was last updated 09/17/2020
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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