Foster, George Maxwell (“Captain Maxie”) of Palm Harbor, FL 85, loving husband of Suzanne Foster for almost 50 years.

Maxie passed peacefully on Good Friday April 15th, 2022 at his home with his wife Suzanne by his side. He was born to Raymond and Lucille Foster. He was raised (he really wasn’t raised he just grew) and grew up poor in Panama City, Florida until he eventually settled in Pinellas County, Florida.

(How do you start his story)

Maxie was the owner of the Gulfstream Fishing Vessel Co. at Clearwater Beach, Florida…………His interest started

At a young age he would go to the local docks and clean fish so he could take some money home for his mother. He would go on commercial fishing trips all across the Gulf of Mexico for weeks at a time to help support his mother and siblings.. In between those trips he would find time to get in trouble fighting near the local train depot while the troops would be waiting for the next train, sometimes with other boys but some of the time the fights would be with his brother. They quickly found out it turned out to be a money making venture as the troops would throw money to them, so the two brothers would stage fights every time the troops would go through. All the time they would be playing hooky from school then one day the school officer finally caught up with the many time truants so they sent his brother to the North Florida School for Boys while they sent Maxie (because he was younger) to the Police Athletic League where he learned the sport of boxing.

As Maxie grew and hung around the fisherman and local docks he decided he wanted to learn to operate those fishing boats and start fishing. He took his test with the US Coast Guard and obtained his U.S Coast Guard Merchant Marine 100 ton Masters license. He operated boats in and out of Panama City for several years and after that moved to Clearwater, FL.

His boxing training under his belt with the P.A.L. Maxie quickly went on to a short but successful professional boxing career but needed to move on, however boxing remained his passion throughout his life. After he ended his boxing career he started a job that pioneered some of the very first half- day party boat fishing on Clearwater Beach, FL, running many of the popular party fishing boats of the time such as the Buckeye II, Kingfisher, Rainbow, Super Queen, Florida Fisherman and many more. Then one day that would change his life unbeknownst to him, while captaining a boat on a fishing trip, as Maxie would often be heard to tell it, he met a passenger that would soon be his future wife, Suzanne, “She was sitting on my bait tank!” That was the beginning, it was an immediate “love at first sight” for both. After that meeting they started a new beginning becoming a strong, loving and hardworking team throughout the rest of his (their lives) life.

Maxie will be remembered for many things; one was starting his very successful and well known business, Gulfstream Fishing Charters along with his wife Suzanne at Clearwater Beach., FL in 1973. ? He started with his first vessel in 1974 and then on with two vessels. He felt he needed a vessel that would pass USCG strict safety standards so he had his pride, the custom 51 foot Gulfstream II specially built for him in 1982 eventually ending up with a fleet of three vessels still operating on Clearwater Beach today. Maxie’s fishing abilities; knowledgeable seamanship and magnetic personality drew customers from across the world and left thousands of people with so many great memories of their fishing trips with Captain Maxie at the helm... . He continued to fish his boats up until his retirement at 80 years old.

Maxie was known for his unpretentious manner, integrity, quiet strength, uncanny sense of humor, and endless stream of jokes along with stories of his many fishing and boxing adventures.

Maxie was friendly, was quick to strike up a conversation, people were drawn to him and has been said that he have never met a stranger. With his wickedly handsome good looks and a broad flashing smile you couldn’t miss him in a crowd. He was a humble and hardworking man; he was kind, generous and forgiving, always to be the first to apologize.

The legacy that Maxie left during his lifetime lives on with his deep love of his family and friends, honesty, lessons of life, fishing and excellent seamanship are just some of many that lives on forever with the many that knew him and learned from him.

He was an animal lover along with his wife Suzanne, raising purebred show winning Rhodesian Ridgebacks. He enjoyed his love for his Ring-tailed Lemurs, horses and his many favorite dogs, just to name a few Mikey, Laci, Brio, Juma and Selena and he also never forgot to feed the birds and squirrels.

He found enough time during his busy career to do some traveling all over the US but also to Africa, India, and Mexico. And all over He was also a successful and proud 40 member year of AA.

Max will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him but especially by the love of his life, his wife Suzanne of almost 50 years. .She feels privileged to be his wife and so proud of all he accomplished in his life especially to have come from such humble beginnings. He was a good man!

He was preceded in death by his mother and father, a son Stephen A. Foster. Three sisters and several other brothers.

He leaves behind: his loving wife, Suzanne Foster, step-son Brad Gorst and step-daughter Michelle Gorst, Brother Kenny Foster and his wife Pat, Bobby Foster, nephews Mitchell Foster and Richard ‘Spud “ White.                                        

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