Eight Bells: Lydia Jewell

Lydia Edes Jewell, 96, crossed the final bar on January 12, 2026, closing a remarkable life defined by adventure, curiosity, and a lifelong love of the sea.

Born March 7, 1929, in Boston, MA to Oliver L. and Della S. Edes, she grew up in Plymouth, Massachusetts where her relationship with the water began. At the age of 12, she got her first boat, a Duxbury Duck. Learning to sail sparked a passion that would chart the rest of her life.

Growing up amid the Second World War led to a keen interest in Military History and the Battle of the Bulge, in particular. She spent hours listening to her parents and their friends discuss politics at the dinner table and followed U.S. Politics her entire life.

In 1950, she graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in Political Science and in May 2025 was one of two members of her class who returned for their 75th college reunion.

Upon graduation, Lydia worked for renowned naval architect John Alden at the Alden Design Office in Boston. She formed a friendship with Mr. Alden and was thrilled when she had the opportunity to sail with him.

Leaving that position, she spent a transformative year and a half sailing with maritime legends Captain Irving Johnson and his wife Electa (Exy) aboard the 96-foot brigantine Yankee. That 18-month voyage, which included 120 Ports O’ Call and rounded the Cape of Good Hope, shaped her future in profound ways.

She co-authored the book, “Yankee’s People and Places’, and more importantly, met her future husband Ray Jewell who was a cinematographer aboard the ship and whose footage contributed to the National Geographic Society’s 1966 production of, “Voyage of the Brigantine Yankee”.

In 1956, Lydia and Ray settled in Southern California, making a home in the San Fernando Valley. She taught sailing at the California Yacht Club and Del Ray Yacht Club and sailed competitively, winning two women’s championships in Sabots. She was honored the lifetime achievement award given by the Peggy Slater Memorial Committee for outstanding contributions to the enhancement of women in sailing in 2016.

After raising her family, she joined Catalina Yachts in 1978 where she supervised the sail loft with skill, precision, and the steady hand of a sailor who knew her craft well. She remained there until her retirement in 1988.

After retiring, Lydia relocated to San Pedro and joined the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club and the Cabrillo Beach Polar Bears.

Never one to let age define her limits, Lydia began windsurfing at the age of 52, earning recognition from the Los Angeles Times and Women’s Sports & Fitness magazine for her impressive skills at age 64. She continued this pursuit until she turned 75.

Lydia contributed her talents to the construction of the Los Angeles Maritime Institute’s sister brigantines, Irving Johnson and Exy Johnson, which honor the Captain and First Mate who shaped her formative adventures at sea.

She was a lifelong member of the Plymouth Yacht Club and recipient of the prestigious Plymouth Bowl. She chaired the PYC Race Committee for five years and was actively involved in specific notable adjustments that impacted how races were managed and sailed. On the many Race Committees she served, she was the trusted hand behind the signal flags; steady, knowledgeable, and always exact.

She was a cherished friend who could be outspoken when it mattered, had an unshakeable relationship with the water, and was always the person others counted on when something needed to be done right.

Lydia leaves behind her three wonderful children, twins Bill Jewell and Lynne Jewell Shore and youngest daughter Beth Jewell Faulkner (John): as well as her grandchildren Jennifer Shore (Thomas Galster) and Jonathan Shore, Hailey and Kristopher Jewell and Oliver, Hays, Wil and Penn Faulkner.

Her legacy lives in the seas she traversed, the sailors she inspired, and the family and community who will forever carry her memory forward. Fair winds and following seas, Lydia. Your voyage continues beyond the horizon.