Marty Tupin: A colorful character remembered

Marty Tupin was a man of many talents and interests.

BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

BRADENTON BEACH –

Longtime Cortez and Bradenton Beach resident Marty Tupin passed away on Aug. 1, just a few weeks before his 63rd birthday.

Over the years, Marty was a commercial fisherman, a fiberglass and metal fabricator, an artist, a furniture maker and more. After a portion of his right leg was amputated, Marty spent his final couple of years as the ever-vigilant parking attendant at the Drift In bar in Bradenton Beach, where he zipped around on his three-wheeled electric scooter supervising the sometimes challenging two-deep, tandem parking reserved for patrons only.

The Drift In, 120 Bridge St., will host a celebration of life on Sunday, Aug. 27 at 2 p.m. Attendees are invited to bring a dish to share and to share their memories of Marty.

Marty’s family will host a celebration of life at the Star Fish Co. restaurant, 12306 46th Ave. W. in Cortez on Sunday, Oct. 1 from 5-8 p.m.

LIFE’S CHALLENGES

Marty’s sister, Judy (Tupin) Mossorofo, lives in Venice with her husband, Charles

Mossorofo, and they shared their insights on Marty’s colorful and sometimes challenging life.

Marty was born in Medina, Ohio. When he was about a year old and Judy was two, their parents were in an automobile accident in Butler, Georgia that killed their mom, Elsie, a former Manatee County schoolteacher.

Marty’s dad, Lynn, had family ties to the Cortez commercial fishing community and was a commercial fisherman himself. After the accident, he and the children moved to Manatee County, where the siblings lived with various family members before being placed in separate foster homes.

“All four of us got split up. We didn’t grow up together,” Judy said of their fractured family.

Judy said Marty began his commercial fishing career in Cortez in the 1980s.

“He loved fishing and crabbing. His friends were commercial fishermen and shrimpers and he worked the docks at the A.P. Bell Fish Co. He loved catching fish and bringing them to all his friends. He fiberglassed a lot of boats and he was really good at that. He mended nets too. He also loved painting, making metal sculptures and building and painting wooden chairs and benches. He loved working with his hands. He was very creative. He was a fabulous artist. He was a good father and he loved his dogs too,” Judy said.

Judy can’t remember exactly when it happened, but she said Marty was in a motorcycle accident that seriously injured his right leg and impacted the rest of his life.

“Later, his leg hurt so bad that he couldn’t walk. It got so badly infected that they had to cut the foot off at the ankle. It then spread up his leg and more of his leg was amputated because of bad circulation and sepsis,” Judy said, noting some toes on his left foot were later amputated too.

In mid-July, Marty became seriously ill and was hospitalized. His left leg was amputated in an attempt to save his life and he was later moved to Tidewell Hospice in Bradenton where he spent his final days, visited by family and friends.

Regarding his late brotherin-law, Charles said, “I’m from

New York City. I met Marty 23 years ago when I first came down here with Judy. This guy was just beaming with life. He’d tell me stories about being a commercial fisherman and getting off the boat for a burger and a beer at a bar. He certainly had a lust for life and the open sea.

“We didn’t see each other often, but I was close to him. He lived life completely on his own terms and he did it without being malicious. Marty got grumpy sometimes, but he was all heart and we never argued. I taught him it was OK to agree to disagree and we did that for 23 years. He was a remarkable, beautiful man. He had a heart of gold,” Charles said.

Friends Aplenty

Drift In Manager Doreen Flynn said, “I called him ‘Mr. Crotchety’ but I loved him and I wish he was still here. He worked here for the past couple years but I knew him for 15 years. He used to bring me my fish and shrimp and he taught me to freeze fish in water in a bag so it was fresh when you took it out. He was dealt some tough cards but he always kept his head up and he did not want anyone to know he was in pain every day. He will be deeply missed. He drank Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey and Icehouse beer and we’re going to have an Icehouse special on the 27th.”