William Tooze was a turn of the century Santa Cruzan who was active in the county for ten years.

William C. Tooze was born in Newberg, Oregon, to a Mr. and Mrs. Tooze about 1881. The Tooze family, consisting of two sons and two daughters, later moved to San Jose, California. Following the completion of his formal education in 1900, William was employed by the Sperry Flour Company and became their Santa Cruz agent. While in Santa Cruz, he was active in the local Masonic Lodge, the First Presbyterian Church and served as president of the local Christian Endeavor Society. He also participated in community athletic programs including the all star baseball team and the relay races between Santa Cruz and Watsonville. During this period, William Tooze married and a daughter, Nancy, was later born to the couple.

About 1910 William Tooze left Santa Cruz and returned to San Jose. During World War I, he was commissioned a Lt. (jg) in the California Naval Militia (Reserve). In 1917 he served as a navigation officer with the first battalion of that organization stationed in Oakland and later as a deck officer aboard the cruiser USS Pueblo. Following the war, Tooze remained in the Navy and advanced in rank.

When World War II began, Commander Tooze served aboard the battleship USS Oregon until he was promoted to captain and transferred to the 12th Naval District staff. As a staff officer he was subjected to an extremely heavy workload during the latter part of the war. When his health failed, he was hospitalized at Camp White in Medford, Oregon. Following two weeks of treatment, Captain William C. Tooze died on October 20, 1945. His body was sent to San Jose for a funeral and burial; however, the cemetery in that city where he is buried has not been identified.

(SCSn October 21, 1945 1:3)