Ivy Browne, 87; Famed for 1934 Swim Across San Francisco Bay

Ivy Browne, 87, who gained national attention in 1934 for swimming from San Francisco to Oakland, died Tuesday in Reno, Nev., of leukemia.

Browne was 19 when she swam across San Francisco Bay on a dare. The swim made headlines, and her photo was published in Life magazine. Her record of 2 hours, 6 minutes stood for 46 years.

Dubbed the Unsinkable Ivy Browne by San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen, she swam in open water competitive events off Hawaii, New Zealand and Santa Cruz, Calif. She held a world record of 4 hours, 19 minutes in the 10-kilometer races.

Browne abandoned swimming for 40 years after moving to Lake Tahoe in 1942 to look after the homes of wealthy summer residents. But at age 65, she moved to Reno and renewed her interest in the sport.

She won countless medals in the Senior Olympics in recent years, and in 1995 and 1996 was national open-water swimming champion in the 80-to-84 age group. At 82, she became the first woman to swim across Lake Mead.