Other Devoted Fishermen
Donald “Buddy” Beggs Jr., age 64, son of Don’s Dock founder Don
Beggs Sr., and a former owner and operator of the Madeira Beach
bait and tackle shop, at home on Feb. 8, 2007. A pioneer in the
area sportfishing community, he was an accomplished angler, one
of the early successful kingfishermen and later captained
billfish boats in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. His ashes
were scattered at the channel entrance to John’s Pass at his
request. Survivors include sons Mark, Matthew and Donald “Luke”
Beggs, who now runs Don’s Dock; sisters, Martha Galloway,
Elizabeth Ann Keikes and Kathy Lister; and three grandchildren.
Donald Beggs Sr., age 90, founder of Don’s Dock bait and tackle
shop in Madeira Beach, at home on Aug. 16, 2002. In 1942 he
borrowed $3,000 from his grandmother to buy the land just north
of John’s Pass to build his Ardon Apartments, with a private
dock that evolved from rowboat rentals to selling bait, tackle,
gas and other supplies. He and son Don “Buddy” Jr. ran the
business until 1979, when it was first leased, then sold, and
leased back to the family, with grandson Donald “Luke” Beggs now
in charge. He also ran Redington Long Pier for 10 years and the
Madeira Beach Marina. Survivors included his son, Donald Jr.;
daughters Martha Galloway and Elizabeth Ann Keikes; nine
grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Captain Wilson Hubbard, age 78, pioneer charter boat operator
and founder of Hubbard Enterprises at John’s Pass, at home on
Dec. 1, 1994. Born in Memphis, he settled at Pass-a-Grille with
his parents in 1929. He bought his first charter boat after the
war, and in 1954 established the first Gulf Coast half-day
fishing party boat. In 1956 he began a marathon 18-hour fishing
trip for hard-core anglers, and in 1971 established overnight
weekend trips to the far offshore fishing grounds. Merry Pier
became known as Hubbard’s Pier until he moved his operation to
John’s Pass in 1976, and opened the Friendly Fisherman Seafood
Restaurant in 1979. He used to say, "If you are too busy to go
fishing, you are just too busy!" Survivors included his wife,
Lorraine; sisters, Patricia and Katherine McDole; and son Mark,
all involved in the family Hubbard’s Marina and Hubbard
Enterprise operations; and son, Thomas.
Warren Sturgis, age 72, retired skipper of the charter fishing
boat The Proposition, and former Madeira Beach city
commissioner, at home on Nov. 8, 2002. A Pinellas County native,
he worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 36 years until 1985.
He helped form the Barrier Islands Government Council and fought
to protect local bridge tenders with two-way radios. “I’m
interested in the waterways because I’m a boater,” he said
proudly. Survivors included his wife Jan; daughters Karen Hoyle
and Pamela Sturgis; mother Margaret A. Sturgis; sister Dorothy
Salley; and grandson J.J.Hoyle III.
We will be listing the names of the Central West Coast Florida
Fishermen Lost at Sea on this
www.floridafishermenlostatsea.com website as soon as we have
verified the accuracy of our records.
If you know of a Florida Fishermen who was lost at sea-
