Ethel "Tinkerbelle" Strom February 13, 1914 - October 2, 2000

Ethel "Tinkerbelle" Strom passed away on October 2, 2000. Ethel and her late husband Bud joined Sportsmen Yacht Club in 1959.

Our Tinkerbelle passed away on Monday, October 2, 2000.

Ethel (Tinkerbelle) Strom was born in Juneau, Alaska, on February 13, 1914. We talked many times of her life; she was always willing to share it in a modest way. Her father drowned in a fishing accident leaving her mother all alone to raise two sons and a daughter. They later moved to San Francisco, where the family had frequent visits from Jack London who met the family in Alaska. Ethel made many trips across the bay on the Sausalito Ferry to her music lessons. She said she had the fare for passage, ten cents for a cup of beans, which left her with a nickel.

Later in life, she moved to Napa to live with a friend. It was this friend who introduced her to Bud Strom. They were married on New Years Eve 1939. She often said she thought she traveled with Bud to every country in the world except Germany. They loved to travel and they loved children. They raised two children, Linda and Alan. Linda married Bob Adams and they have a son, Doug. Alan has two daughters, Amber and Morgan.

Over the years, Ethel was very active in many organizations. Bud was a Shriner and Ethel belonged to the Daughters of the Nile. She was also active in Republican Women and Meals on Wheels.

Most of all, we will remember her for her contribution to Sportsmen Yacht Club. Bud and Ethel joined Sportsmen Yacht Club in 1959, and Bud was Commodore in 1966. We laughed how I could always remember that year because that was the year our 1992 Commodore was born. As the story goes, it was a very hard time at Sportsmen and Bud came home from a vacation to find he had been voted in to be Commodore.

It was in the 1950's when Ethel got the name "Tinkerbelle." It all started when she dressed as Disney's Tinkerbell for a Halloween Party at the Club. From that day on she was known affectionately as Tinkerbelle.

When we started coming to the Club, Bud and Ethel were always there to greet you and make you feel welcome. Bud died on May 25, 1987. Even though they were extremely close, this did not stop Tinkerbelle from taking an active part in Club activities. She was always there to cook, set tables, and collect money. In fact, she loaned the Club funds to purchase several items.

She was our neighbor on the Ferry with the cabin next to ours, which had a painting of the Disney Tinkerbell above the door. Our grandson thought she was the real Tinkerbell. One day when he was visiting the club he asked Tinkerbelle if he could see her cabin. She said, "Of course."  While they were visiting in her room he asked if she would fly for him. She said it had been a very long time since she had flown and he said, "OK."

One of the best tributes to Tinkerbelle is that she was a friend to everyone. She often told me that in the early days she was quite the party girl. We will miss that party girl we all knew as Tinkerbelle and we are all better people for having her as our friend.

Our sympathy goes to her family.  Thank you for sharing your mom with us.

Kathie Hammer, Historian