Gilbert Lee Krigbaum, 83, a Westport resident for over 70 years, died at Providence St. Peter Hospital, in Olympia, on Monday, February 4, 2013. He was born in Portland, Oregon, April 9, 1929, the son of Conrad and Opal (Forgey) Krigbaum. He was the oldest of seven siblings.
The family moved to Westport in the 1940’s and Gilbert attended Ocosta schools. He joined the Navy in 1947 but returned home to help support the family. He spent his life buying and building boats, fishing for crab and tuna on the coast, seining in southeast Alaska and tendering out of Cordova, Alaska. He was one of the founding stockholders of Washington Crab Producers. After many years in the fishery he retired in 2006.