Pilot and Maritime Leader Captain George Quick Dies at Age 93
Captain George Quick, a longtime pilot, leader in the piloting community, and advocate for the welfare of mariners, died this week at the age of 93. He is being remembered for his many contributions to the industry, his role as a mentor and friend, and for working tirelessly to advance the highest standards for the piloting profession.
Captain Quick held numerous leadership positions during his career, including as President of the Association of Maryland Pilots, President of the Port of Baltimore Maritime Exchange, Vice President of the American Pilots’ Association, and Vice President of the International Organization of Masters, Mates, & Pilots. He was among a small group of pilots who helped to form the International Maritime Pilots’ Association in 1970. IMPA now represents over 8,200 pilots in 53 countries.
“Hyperbolic accolades are overused today, but it is correct and fitting to say that Captain Quick was a legendary piloting figure and one of the foundational pillars of modern pilotage,” writes Jorge Viso, President of American Pilots' Association, in tribute to Captain Quick.
A graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at King's Point, Class of 1951, Captain Quick went on to earn a law degree from the University of Baltimore Law School.
Captain Quick served as a deck officer in the U.S. merchant marine advancing to gain his U.S. Coast Guard master’s license. Five years after graduating from USMMA, he entered the training program of the Association of Maryland Pilots in 1956. He became a fully licensed Maryland pilot in 1962 and retired from active piloting in 2001 after a distinguished piloting career of over 40 years.
An expert on pilotage laws and regulations, as well as on pilotage rate-setting processes, Captain Quick regularly testified at hearings before boards, commissions, and legislative committees nationwide. He also was a proctor member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States.
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim in February 2023 recognized Captain Quick’s five decades of service to the international maritime community and role in helping to shape many IMO instruments, resolutions, and other standards.
“While his contributions to the work of this Organization have been substantive and substantial and cannot be overstated, his personal impacts on countless delegates, both past and present, represent his real legacy. He has been a mentor and role model to so many women and men who will continue to carry forward the important work of the Organization,” said the IMO Secretary-General.
Captain Quick received numerous recognitions and lifetime achievements from national marine societies. Among them were honors from the American Pilots’ Association and Safety at Sea Magazine, and was chosen as a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Captain Quick died on July 11 at his home in Jarrettsville, Maryland. The Maritime Executive joins with the American Pilots’ Association and many others in expressing sincere condolences to the Quick family.