Bert told me that an ancestor of the family who sighned the Declaration of Independence was Benjiam Rush. I have not verified this - possibly on the Ma ansd Pa Campbell’s side.

Richard Kelly was a sponsor at baptism - same as for John Ignatius, 7 years prior. A second sposor is listed, but the script has not been interpretted.

Social Security records:19 Jul 1898 Sep 1977 92103 (San Diego, San Diego, CA) (none specified) 573-42-0637 California

Bill Grandalski was his chief and took care of Bert in his final days (Bert was at the VA hospital in the area of Scripps institute and/or UCSD. Wendy & I visited him there.

Commisions included in his effects are: graduatioin from the U. S. Naval Academy 6/2/22; appointed ensign the following day (Warren Harding) ;appointed Lieutenant on 3/1/29 (Herbert Hoover); Lt. Commander 7/1/39 (Franklin Roosevelt)


Crossed the Equator on 7/6/25 aboard U.S.S. Farenholt; 4/30/38 aboard the U.S.S. Canopus; 1/19/39 on the U.S.S. Sacremento, 11/15/43 USS ALCYONE (the longitude was unspecified as this was during the war. This latter crossing was noted on a wallet card which has been disposed of. Also on a wallert card was the interesting fact that he had a cossing aboard the U.S.S. ALCYONE on 6/22/1942 when the ship was under the command of Commander D. M. McGurl. Bert must have succeeed him in command. A log of the U.S.S.Alcyone is found in McVey Family / Cmdr. J. B. McVey.

There is a folder with Bert’s memorabilia also in the hanging folder with his effects. A bound collection of wallet-sized prints has photos of his ship in WWII. The No. was 76; type unknown - looks like a supply ship. Also included is a card giving the itinerary of the USS Trenton in 1928. A scroll signed by the 300+ men of his ship gives the name as U.S.S. Alcyone and gives the dates of service as 7/15/41 - 4/3/44.

Bert’s offical dates of service: 6/19/1918 - 1/1/46. Honorable retirement. S/N 57664. Certificatia# 113291.

Bert’s life-long friend was Grace E. Finley 3215 Hill St., (Point Loma) San Diego, CA 92106.

I believe that the other friends with whom we met and possibly had dinner at their home in the older part of town were Corinne and Gertrude Connell. They signed Bert’s memorial register.


Cmdr. Bert McVey moved into the area called, "Bankers' Hill" almost before any of the bankers did. That was in 1911 when the hills and canyons from Walnut St. to Juniper St. were almost barren. Later those hills became studded with homes of some of the city's wealthiest families, many of whom were bankers, and the name came into being. Back then there was even a barn in the area which had been converted to a garage for a horseless carriage when the area was rezoned and horses went back to the farms. It sat on the back lot of one of the areas few homes.

The McVey home stood almost alone then and, according to McVey, "We could clearly see the north end of the, bay.

The McVey home stands shrouded now by trees perched on a ledge above a heavily wooded canyon and surrounded by signs of civilization. Amidst the noise and hustle-bustle of contemporary times it stands as a symbol of Victoriana. McVey remembers that day when the three-story structure, built in 1892 for Miss Letitia Lovett was moved to its present location that 321 W. Walnut. "They move did from Fourth to the east side of First one afternoon, then they moved it to Albatross the following day," McVey said. They pulled it on horse -drawn logs, he said, stopping at First Street until the trolley stopped running for the day so wires could be taken down.

The McVeys had bought the house in the 1911 from roller bearing king H. H. Timken, who wanted to clear land but it stood on at Fourth and Walnut for a more modern house. McVey's brother John, working in architect Irving Gill's office, learned about the sale. When the McVeys a moved their newly purchased home, they also moved a bungalow built for one of the Timken daughters as an art studio. It's still stands at next to the McVey home at Albatross and Walnut.

McVey's sister Margaret became mistress of the house when her mother died in 1929. Her father had died in 1902, not long after the family moved west from Wilmington, Delaware, in 1902.

Margaret McVey, for many years at the boys' attendance secretary at Hoover High School, lived in the house until her death a few years ago. Very much her own decorator, she furnished the house with memoirs of her brother Bert's Navy days abroad. The commander would return home on leaves during his long Navy career, bringing with him treasures from duty in old China and Japan. Miss McVey measured the rooms for the dusty rose-colored Chinese rugs her brother had made in Peking 40 years ago. She then hand made the gold damask draperies.

Miss McVey, a cultured lady who loved travel and music, was also an accomplished pianist, and her piano is still part of the parlor furnishings.

Most of the original McVey family furnishings, including the draperies and rugs, were intact when the commander moved out and sold the house to the John N. Webb family last year. The Webbs are working to preserve the house as it was in the McVey days. Even the local library table, specially made with four drawers, one for each of the McVey children, is still there.

Internment is at Hillside Memorial Park, Redlands, (San Bernadino County), Calif. (West of Los Angeles) Map 2, Space 1, Lot 7. A copy of the gravestone with Bert’s name appended is found in McVey Family / McVey Gravestone.