'Skipper' Jonas Grumby (aka Alan Hale McKahan, Jr.) served in the Navy and fought in WWII in the South Pacific, earning the rank of Captain. He led the navy band for 5 years aboard his ship, and was the best poker player in all of the 7th fleet. The Skipper met Gilligan in the navy, where Gilligan saved his life by pushing him out of the way of a depth charge that had broken loose and was rolling down the deck of their destroyer. After retiring, the Skipper used his commission to buy the S.S. Minnow and began offering 3 hour tours from Honolulu harbor. Gilligan was his first mate. The Skipper had the hardiest appetite. He played the line on the high school football team, and weighed in at 220 pounds in his mid-forties. He said if they ever got rescued, 'I'll go straight to an Italian restaurant and have 8 or 10 pizzas, 6 dozen meatballs, and 2 miles of spaghetti, and then I'll have dinner.' His favorite steak sandwich? A filet between two top sirloins! The Skipper was the castaway's good-natured leader. He was brave and sure, and was always looking out for them - particularly Gilligan. He continually encouraged the castaways to work together toward what he knew would be their eventual rescue. The Skipper passed-away in Los Angeles, California on January 2, 1990 from respiratory failure due to cancer. He was cremated and his ashes scattered at sea.