Reef to memorialize late Port Charlotte fisherman

Family and friends are accepting donations for the artificial reef Capt. Jeff Steele worked on before he died.


A Port Charlotte man who lived for the waters of Florida will forever be a part of them, thanks to the efforts of those who knew and loved him.

The Captain Jeff Steele Memorial Reef will memorialize the longtime Charlotte County resident who recently died on an annual fishing trip to the rough waters of southern Alaska.

Friends of Steele have planned two fundraisers to finance the artificial reef, to be located in about 62 feet of water, almost due west of Stump Pass.

It's a fitting memorial for Steele, who served on the reef's advisory committee with Betty Staugler, a Florida Sea Grant Marine agent with the University of Florida.

"Jeff gave so much to the community," Staugler said. "This is just one way for him to keep giving, I think."

Friends and family of Steele will hold a sunset memorial service for him at Gilchrist Park in Punta Gorda at 7 p.m. Aug. 3.

Steele's wife, Barbara, said Friday that her husband's body was recovered by two fishermen July 14. He had disappeared from the deck of a commercial fishing boat.

"Thankfully, the fishermen knew Jeff and gently put him into the boat, wrapped a blanket around him and said the 'Fisherman's Prayer,'" Barbara said.

His wife said Jeff's ashes will be returned home by his good friend and fishing buddy, Steve Griffing. When the memorial reef is finished, his ashes will be placed there.

A 10:30 a.m. car wash on Aug. 4, at Coyotes Bar & Grille, 4300 Kings Highway in Port Charlotte, will raise money for the reef, according to event organizer Heidi Schwarz.

Then, on Sept. 2, a poker run and benefit also will be held at Coyotes. Motorcycles will file out just after 11 a.m., and the benefit will begin at 2:30 p.m. Riders and passengers can participate in the run for $10 each, and raffles and prizes will be available at each participating bar.

"Words cannot describe the warmth and kindness our family feels from Jeff's many friends," Barbara said. "Thank you all for loving him."

Steele's brother, Lee, said he's not at all surprised by the outpouring of support following his brother's death.

"He had a lot of acquaintances and friends here in town, and he's lived here since 1955," Lee Steele said. "He knows everybody. Everybody knows him."

Those who can't attend the fundraisers can make direct donations by writing checks out to the University of Florida Foundation. Specify on the check that the money is for the Captain Jeff Steele Memorial Reef.

Checks and cash can be sent to the Charlotte County East Port Environmental Campus, 25550 Harborview Road, Suite 3, Port Charlotte, FL 33980.

They also can be sent to Fantasea Scuba, 3781 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte, FL 33952, through which Steele operated and advertised his dive charter business.

The business is owned and operated by Jim and Julie Joseph, who were very close with Steele. Julie Joseph said she and her husband would love to have any and all members of the community participate.

"He was our best friend," she said.

For years, Steele donated his time to the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences extension in Charlotte County. His work was invaluable, Staugler said.

Steele helped with site selection for the artificial reef, did monitoring dives and fishery surveys, and monitored the mapping on local reefs.

"He was kind of (the) nuts and bolts on all ends of the artificial reef activity," Staugler said.

Steele also donated more than his time. The 60-year-old had given almost 57 gallons of blood in his lifetime. Officials with Florida's Blood Centers hope to match that amount from community members by the end of August, to remember Steele, a regular at the local blood banks. It will take 455 donors to meet the goal.

"He was very friendly," said Blair Lovejoy of Florida's Blood Centers. "He knew everybody in the blood center, and every two weeks on the button he came in and donated platelets."

Current rules allow donation of blood only every eight weeks, which would prevent someone from donating as much blood and platelets as Steele did. But years ago, he found ways to circumvent the rules, Lovejoy said, and donated every four weeks.

"A couple of his good friends knew about it and they used to tease him about it," Lovejoy said. "He stopped doing it after a while because it's not good for you."

Those who knew Steele said he was always happy, seemingly without fail. Staugler recalled a conversation she had with him one of the last times they went out for a dive in the Gulf of Mexico.

"I remember asking him," Staugler said, "'Jeff, are you ever in a bad mood?' And he said, 'Oh, sure. I just don't let it get the best of me.'"

Thanks for the info and the e-mail.
I will be in the grounds for the carwash but I will be at the poker run for sure.! I will be the Dago on the loud race bike.!

thanks for all your effort helping Jeffs family.



Dago.

__________________
Take me to your wreck.!

Does anyone know Capt. Steele's birthdate?

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www.freediveplanet.com
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May 28th 1947

He was a great person and a great dive buddy.
I will miss him dearly.


Dago.

__________________
Take me to your wreck.!

Dago, feel free to use our resouces to promote Capt. Steele's memorial services and reef project.

__________________
www.freediveplanet.com
www.spearingvideos.com
www.KillShotMetalArt.com

Thankyou.!
I will for sure put up a few reminders.
Heidi is doing alot of work getting everything organized.!



Dago.

__________________
Take me to your wreck.!

Anyone have any more info on the bike run? Obviously it leaves from Coyotes? Does anyone know where it goes or how far? I'd like to bring my Harley down for it. Could probably dig up my father and brother as well. Definitely a good reason to ride!

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Capt. Sean Patterson

Members and non-members only...

Here you go.!


Sept. 2nd is the poker run.
The POKER RUN registration will start at 11:00am with bikes directly following out. The BENEFIT will begin roughly at 2:30pm @ Coyotes. There will be live music by Brad Conner & Longshot, food, raffles, and a 50/50 drawing.

The cost of the poker run will be $10.00 for the driver and $10.00 for the passenger.

Registration at Coyotes Bar & Grill

1st stop Looney Bin (Port charlotte)

2nd stop Fat Katz (Englewood)

3rd stop Beavers (Englewood)

4th stop Chubbyz 2 (Port Charlotte)

Last stop Coyotes

You don’t need a bike to participate. You can follow in your cars or meet us at any of the stops. Just be sure to be at Coyotes for the benefit. The more the better. Lets build us a reef…….

__________________
Take me to your wreck.!

Everyone who knew Capt. Jeff is supporting the cause for getting this Memorial Reef done...if any of you are willing to give something please contact locals like Fantasea Scuba (Jim and Julie Joseph) www.fantaseascuba.com or Chumbucket (Adam Wilson) or anyone down here that have posted on this forum...we can direct you to where you can send support and get info on the building of this reef. Rest in Peace, Jeff Steele.

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"If people don't occasionally walk away from you shaking their heads, you're doing something wrong."