May 30, 2008

Friends, family and fishing acquaintances of Jorge Nicifore will gather today at 1 p.m. on the Red Rooster III to celebrate the memory of a man who was as important to the San Diego long-range fishing industry as anyone who ever worked in the business.

Nicifore, of Ensenada, didn't own landings. He didn't own a fuel dock. He didn't even own a boat. But Nicifore, the chef on the Lee Palm Sportfishers' operation for nearly 45 years, treated everyone who boarded as if they were part of his family.

A man's man, an angler's angler, Nicifore died April 21 after a courageous nine-month fight to overcome a malignant brain tumor.

Linda Palm-Halpain, owner of the Red Rooster III, said Nicifore was the heart and soul of the boat.

“He will never be replaced,” she said. “I can't even explain how much Jorge meant to me as a person, what he did for me personally for being there, and for being who he was. Such a gentleman, such a professional, so reliable. We miss him dearly.”

Andy Cates was a 21-year-old rookie long-range captain when he met Nicifore. Cates called him “the ambassador,” for the way he handled even the most pressing emergencies.

“Jorge is a true legend of long-range fishing,” Cates said. “What a great fisherman and friend to have aboard. With many adventures to various islands in Baja, some for fun, others for emergency situations that seemed only he could make go so smooth. No one will ever match his savvy at the rail with countless tales of 300-plus pound tuna and wahoo caught when they did not seem to be around. Wahoo fishing was his specialty, and no one matched him.”

Said Captain John Grabowski, who runs relief trips on the Red Rooster III: “Jorge was the reason the Red Rooster III had the repeat clientele for many years. He was not only a great chef, but treated passengers with respect and treated them with dignity. He was the type of person, crew member and employee that this industry needs to model itself around and strive to duplicate.”

Ralph Cox, a regular angler on the Red Rooster III and friend of Nicifore's, marveled at how Nicifore's family cared for him and how the fishing community rallied financial support for him.

As Nicifore battled his illness, anglers, friends and even strangers contributed to help the family.

Donations poured in, and an Internet auction run by Scott McFarland on allcoast.com raised thousands of dollars.

“Without that help from the fishing community, I don't know what the family would have done,” Cox said.

On nothing more than a sport boat chef's salary, Nicifore accomplished some amazing things. Orphaned at 14, he helped raise a family of three brothers and himself. He was an avid reader and kept up on world issues by keeping the boat's TV tuned to CNN when it was at sea. He was a self-taught chef who made bread and hamburger buns from scratch for every trip. His lasagna and wahoo Parmesan were legendary.

“Jorge's sense of pride, especially for his family, were always foremost in his mind,” Cox said. “He worked many years to accomplish his main goal in life, that being to educate his children. He and his wife worked toward that goal together, and the goal was realized.

“Daughter Anna Cristina became a medical doctor. Daughter Gina became a certified analytical biologist with a B.S. And son Jorge received his degree in business management, B.A.”

Nicifore was an entertainer on the boat; a show unto himself is the way Red Rooster III skippers Grabowski and Cates and former Captain Julio Ochoa described him.

“It didn't matter what was going on outside, everything always was perfect in the galley,” Ochoa said. “He always had a great smile on his face.”

Said Ralph Cox: “Those who fished with him cannot go fishing and not remember some little trick or joke Jorge shared to make your day better. I could never walk in his shoes, but was proud to walk next to him. My brother, in spirit, lives on in my heart and my tackle box.”

Ed Zieralski: (619) 293-1225; ed.zieralski@uniontrib.com