Emelyn Thatcher Leonard WHITON

Emelyn Whiton won a gold medal in sailing at the 1952 Olympics when she served as a crew member for her husband, Herman Whiton, aboard the Llanoria in the 6-metre class. Emelyn married Herman in 1939, but they divorced in 1957, although she re-married Brewster Righter in 1958. On 1 March 1962, her 46th birthday, Whiton boarded American Airline Flight #1 flying from Idlewild (now JFK) Airport in New York to Los Angeles. Two minutes after take-off the plane crashed into a swamp, killing all 87 occupants aboard, including Emelyn Whiton.