Messenger - Vol. 1, No. 3, Page 23
Spring 1992
Alumni Profile; Starr charts his own course

     As I leave Sapphire Marina on the east end of St. Thomas, I have
to be particularly careful....There are huge rocks on each side, and,
at best, it's a hairy spot to navigate. The cut is barely 30 feet side
to side and more than a few boats have had their hulls scuffed on the
rocks. At night it can be particularly dangerous. Tonight is no
exception...."
     Charles "Hap" Starr, Delaware '59, describes his retirement with
a mixture of energy and fatigue. Starr, who owns and captains a
charter boat in the U.S. Virgin Islands, jettisoned a more traditional
career in the states in 1984 and sailed to paradise.
     Chartering to production companies filming commercials and
occasional movies, Starr begins a typical day at 3:30 a.m. and cruises
well past sunset. American Airlines, Weight Watchers and Coca-Cola
have all used Starr's services. He also runs private charters for
snorkeling and sight-seeing.
     "I settle back in the seat, making sure I keep well off Patrick
Point....I begin to feel the aches and tiredness, but that's nothing
new. It probably began those many years ago when I played lacrosse for
Milt Roberts at Delaware. He called me 'Scrap Iron'...old, rusty and
too heavy....He was a good man who made at least one marginal player
feel welcome on his field...."After attending a military prep school,
Starr entered the University of Delaware in 1951. "The relative
freedom from the discipline (of military school) left me pretty
undisciplined and I didn't do well in '51," explains the economics
major. "So I joined the Air Force and came back four years later."
     While stationed in Puerto Rico, Starr met his wife, Mary Ann, who
was also in the service.
     Upon returning to Delaware in 1955, he quickly added the roles of
husband, athlete, father and jack-of-all trades to his list of
credits. Starr and Mary Ann married in the middle of his second
freshman year and had their first of three boys a year later. Starr
lettered in lacrosse and worked a variety of odd jobs to provide for
his family.
     After working in the textbook publishing field for over 10 years,
Starr developed a deeper appreciation for the University. "I didn't
know how good a school Delaware was until I left," he says.
     Perhaps someday Starr will retire from his retirement, but not
right now.
     "Sore and tired has been a big part of my life, but I'd rather be
sore and tired here than anywhere else. And, as a friend once told me,
in St. Thomas you don't have to shovel rain."
                                        -Skip Cook, Delaware '89
                                   with excerpts from an essay by Starr.