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| June 19, 2015 The Catalina Islander |  |
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In-depth look at Packy's life
Man of many traits:
leader, conservation-
ist, businessman
BY DYLAN R N CRABB
Paxson "Packy" Offield, the
great-grandson of William Wrigley
Jr., died this week from leukemia
that he'd been fighting since diag-
nosis in December of 2011.
Offield was the former president
and CEO and current board mem-
ber for the Santa Catalina Island
Company, which was formed in
1894 and acquired by the chewing
gum tycoon, William Wrigley Jr,
in 1919 for $3.5 million.
The company's initial goal was
to develop Santa Catalina Island
to attract a tourism industry, but
Wrigley Jr.'s acquisition shifted
the company's focus to a more
conservationist agenda, preserv-
ing the Island in its natural state.
Although the "Island compa-
ny" no longer operates the Island's
utilities or ferries to the mainland,
it still owns much of the roads,
parks, and drainage ditches.
The company also subsidizes
much of the administrative opera-
tions of the town of Avalon (popu-
lation: 3,728).
One could call Packy Offield
a devoted conservationist, having
achieved leadership positions in
several non-profit organizations.
Aside from sitting on the board
of directors of the Santa Catalina
Paxton Offield with J. Peter Jenny, who is the president and CEO of the Peregrine Fund.
Courtesy photo
Island Company, he was also the
chairman of the International
Game Fish Association and the
managing director of Blue Maple
Real Estate.
In the past, Offield worked as
the first chairman of the Santa
Catalina Island Conservancy and
was a Benefactor Member; on the
board of directors of the Billfish
Foundation, receiving a lifetime
achievement award at their 25th
anniversary dinner in 2011; the
chairman of the Offield Center
for Billfish Studies.; the direc-
tor of the Wrigley Institute for
Environmental Studies at the
University of Southern California;
a board member for the Center for
the Reproduction of Endangered
Species of the San Diego
Zoological Society, receiving
their 2006 Conservation medal;
and was the chairman and direc-
tor of the Pacific Region branch of
the National Coalition for Marine
Conservation.
Packy Offield was dedicated
to conservation and the preserva-
tion of marine ecosystems in the
California-Pacific region.
The Billfish Foundation writes
on Facebook:
"The world has test a wonder-
ful human being, whose stew-
ardship for its natural resources,
thus the quality of our lives, was
unmatched. He was a TBF board
member, a staunch conservation-
ist, and an avid angler. We will
continue his legacy as he would
have wanted us to do."
Yacht Dogs
From page 1
imagination unless you attend.
Bring your furry friends and
head over to Two Harbors for
this truly unique event.
Look at The Catalina Islander
next week for photos of the win-
ners.
Could your dog be top Yacht
Dog? You'll never know if you
don't enter.
More information is available
by calling 310 510-4249 or e-
mailing lboutillier@ scico.com
The winnerfrom last year's Yacht Dog contestin the Look-alike catego.
Courtesy photo
Dr. Ann Muscot, president and
CEO of the Santa Catalina Island
Conservancy, says,
"We lost a great friend to
conservation and a tremendous
supporter of the Catalina Island
Conservancy.
"Packy was the founding chair-
man of the board of directors for
the Catalina Island Conservancy
and provided years of thoughtful
counsel that will be sorely missed.
Our hearts go out to his family
and all who loved him. Packy
also had a tremendous impact on
Catalina Island itself as a busi-
nessman, philanthropist, and com-
munity leader."
Nature Hikes
From page 10
can learn all about Catalina - from
its geology to how species arrived
on the Island and adapted to it.
The world-famous Airport
in the Sky sits atop a 1,602-foot
mountain, providing a popular
destination for pilots and their
passengers, as well as visitors and
hikers from Avalon.
Many enjoy lunch or dinner at
the airport grill.
The Conservancy's Wildlands
Express offers a convenient and
inexpensive way to travel in the
comfort of an air-conditioned van
from Avalon to the airport, Little
Harbor and Shark Harbor on the
Island s remote windward beaches
with extraordinary views of the
wildlands along the way.
To book a Jeep Eco Tour or
the Wildlands Express, get a
hiking or biking permit, learn
about membership or learn more
about the Conservancy, please
call 310-510-2595 ext. 108, visit
the Conservancy House located
at 125 Clarissa Avenue, just a
short block west of Front Street
in Avalon, or visit the website,
CatalinaConservancy.org
About the Conservancy
:::: Formed in 1972, the Catalina
Island Conservancy is one of
California's oldest land trusts.
Its mission is to be a responsi-
ble steward of its lands through a
balance of conservation, education
and recreation.
Through its ongoing efforts, the
Conservancy protects the magnifi-
cent natural and cultural heritage
of Santa Catalina Island, steward-
ing approximately 42,000 acres of
land and more than 60 miles of
rugged shoreline.
It provides an airport and 50
miles of biking and nearly 150
miles of hiking opportunities
within its road and trail system.
The Conservancy conducts
educational outreach through
two nature centers, its Wrigley
Memorial & Botanic Garden and
guided experiences in the Island's
rugged interior.
Twenty miles from the main-
land, the Island is a treasure trove
of historical and archaeological
sites. It also contains numerous
rare and endangered animals and
plants.
The Island is home to 60 spe-
cies-and counting--that are
found only on Catalina.
For more information, please
visit www.catalinaconservancy.
org.
Catalina Idand Golf Cart
[rllelfnfltlial00lsl
(310) 510-;00500
301 and 0:)5 CreJcent nvenue
Suzanne Elaine Wisniewski
1950-2015
Suzanne Elaine Wisnlewski, age 64,
passed away on Wednesday, dune 3, at
Ronald Reagan Hospital in hos Angeles.
Born dune 16, 1950, Suzanne grew up in
Massachusetts and attended Tufts Univer-
sity in Medford,/HA where she obtained a
MA in Early Childhood Education. She
taught in the Santa Monlca-Malibu Unified
School District from 1979-198(]; The
First School in Santa Monlca from 1987
to 1990 and at Catalina Kid Ventures in
Avalon irom 1997 until retiring in 2014.
Suzanne was very passionate about
teaching. She atfended, organized and
participated in many workshops and con-
leronces with the National Association of
Education for the Young Child and was
one of ihe leaders that pioneered the way
we now teach Early Childhood Education.
The Reggio Emllla Approach was the
focus of her program development which
is the hellef that children use many differ-
ent ways to show their understanding, ex-
press their thoughts and creativity and
has an" emphasis on hands on discovery
learning.
Survivors include her husband of 15
years, Piotr Wlsnlewsld; mother, Elaine
Resnick, age 89 of bynnUeld, MA; broth-
ors, Gerald Resnick o1 hin¢olo, RI and
Herbert Resnick of Euclid, OH. Suzanne
was preceded in death by her father,
Theodore H. Resnick.
Graveslde services were held at the
Avalon Memorial Cemetery on Wednesday,
dune IOth at l:OOpm. Family and friends
shared wonderful memories.
THE CATALINA ISLANDER Friday, June 19, 2015 11 .