Ahee, Dr. Carl Roberts

June 19, 1915 - April 25, 2007

Dr. Carl Roberts Ahee passed away on April 25, 2007, at home in the presence of his family. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Lorraine; daughter, Mary-Guinn Felsted of Visalia; son, Karl Peter of Moreno Valley; sister, Clarabelle Henninger of Hayward; and eight grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Henry Roberts.

Carl was born near Unionville, Iowa, on June 19, 1915, and moved to California in 1920. He graduated from Turlock High School, Modesto Junior College and the University of Southern California (1939). He attended Hastings Law School until getting his "Greetings" letter from the U.S. government.

In May of 1941, Ahee joined the Navy flight training program and completed "E" Base at Alameda. He was commissioned and winged at Corpus Christi, Texas, and received operational training in PBMs at Norfolk and Banana River. His next assignment at Norfolk, VA, in August, 1942 made him a plank owner in the first 3-digit PBM squadron, VP 201.

Within days, Carl met and fell in love with Lorraine Guinn, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Abraham Guinn of Ducktown, Tenn. After a brief courtship, Carl and Lorraine pledged their vows to each other before God and the U.S. servicemen at the base chapel. While Lorraine returned home to Ducktown for the birth of their daughter, Mary-Guinn, Carl continued logging flight time in the much-publicized Bermuda Triangle. Vivid memories for Carl included making night anti-submarine attacks at 50-to-75 foot altitude using the 80,000,000-candle-power Leight light and covering massive 120-ship convoys ranging beyond the horizon. Ahee made a flight from Bermuda to escort a top-secret envoy that carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt to North Africa for the Tehran/Cairo "Big Three" conferences. He made several weather flights from Key West to locate, plot and define hurricane areas, once flying into a hurricane's eye. Ahee wrote, "The calmness and strange light within the eye is unforgettable."

In order to continue to progress in higher education after the war ended, Carl moved his family of five, which included twin boys, Karl Peter and Henry Roberts, to Southern California. Carl enrolled at USC as a G.I. student, while Lorraine taught school. Over the next 10 years, Carl earned three teaching credentials, three administrative credentials, two master's degrees and a doctorate.

Following graduation from USC, Carl's first professional assignment was teaching history at Turlock High School. In 1950, he accepted a position as a high school principal for the armed services. He served as principal through 1953 in both Wiesbaden and Heidelberg American High Schools in Germany. Carl began his service in Torrance Unified School District in 1955 as assistant principal at North High School. The next year he transferred to Torrance High and served as principal until 1970.

Carl later became the director for Torrance Adult School, where he remained for eight years. He also enjoyed term teaching assignments at USC and Long Beach State. Carl retired from a 32-year education career in June, 1978.

Each year, the Ahees typically drove 5,000-6,000 miles to view the beauty and bounty of the U.S. and visited numerous countries world-wide. He remained an active member of the United Methodist Church, Mariner/Marlin Association, Shriners, Masons, and various community organizations, like the Rotary Club and Elks Club.

Carl was known for his sense of humor, strong handshake, tall stance and uncanny memory. He will always be remembered as a very kind, respectable and giving man who truly adored his family. Please sign the guest book at www.dailybreeze.com/obits.

Carl Ahee 'Where are they now' 2005 article in AA Newsletter