John Wayne

John Wayne, a major American leading man for many decades, enjoyed two different features of Catalina - the Mediterranean town of Avalon Bay and the South Seas hide away feel of the more remote Two Harbors. He enjoyed shopping with his wife Pilar in the quaint shops of Avalon, and joined his buddies for diving, boating and water sports.

While Wayne is revered as a classic film hero, he also performed a real life heroic act on Avalon Bay. He was swimming off a boat friends when a local diver was suddenly struck with a heart attack. Diving to depths over 35 feet in an effort to save the local diver, Wayne risked his own life in an attempt to save another.

Wayne was well respected on the island, enjoyed during his visits as a kind and caring man who could carry on comfortably with the locals. He is remembered warmly by those who got to know him during his many Catalina visits.