Malcolm Parton, Founder of Maritime Marine, Dies at 79

Malcolm Parton died on April 28, 2024, after a brief battle with stage four pancreatic cancer, which was detected and diagnosed when he suddenly took ill and was hospitalized a fortnight prior. Parton was a husband, father, grandfather, brother, electrician, mariner, pilot, entrepreneur, world traveler, and an “all-around good bloke.” Parton is survived by his wife Lucia, three daughters Trina, Bryanna, and Serena, siblings Karl Makey and Jackie Halliday, and four grandchildren, Owen, Ava, Brody, and Kenzie.

Parton was born in a small coastal town on the North Sea in in County Lincolnshire, England. He lost his mother to cancer at age five and was raised by his father. Parton went to Letchworth Technical College and learned the electrical trades, leaving his home at a young age to enter the marine world. At 19 he was living in the Bahamas and met Genie, married, and moved to the United States. He became an American citizen in 1994.

“He didn’t work for money, but for the love of solving a problem and helping people,” Serena said.

On top of being a family man, Parton was a successful businessman and founded Maritime Marine in Fort Lauderdale. He started the international marine electrical and survey company in 1982 as a one-man shop based out of his home. Eventually, it grew a vibrant, multi-million-dollar entity with a nine-person staff and modern headquarters that also hosted a Triton event in 2019, celebrating Parton’s 75^th birthday. Serving as president, he was usually the last to leave and often could be found working on weekends.

“Some may have called him a workaholic, but that’s how he showed his love,” Trina said. “Through work and fixing things without complaint.”

When Parton wasn’t working, he enjoyed music, dancing, a cold (or warm) pint, the Bahamas, his holiday finca in Colombia, spending time with his family, and Jaguars. Parton often took Trina and Serena on daddy-daughter dinners in Miami Beach in his two-seat Jaguar — something the daughters remember fondly.

“He’d do these tricks, like (engine) stalls and drops,” Serena said. “He had a little daredevil in him.”

Parton enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren at Dave & Buster’s arcade, and even planned on leaving the Jaguar to his two grandsons before his lawyer told him he couldn’t legally leave a motor vehicle to a six-year-old.

“He wasn’t overly emotional – he lost his mom young, and his dad was hard on him, so I think that had a big influence on him,” Serena said. “He was a man of few words, but he didn’t need to say a lot because he taught us by being a great role model. He was an ethical man, played by the rules and always did the right thing.”

A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, June 9, from 2 6 p.m., at Pier Sixty-Six South (glass house) 2150 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation http://www.npcf.us or American Cancer Society http://www.cancer.org.

“We want to assure all Maritime Marine clients that operations and current projects will continue unabated, and that Malcolm’s legacy will live on through the dedication, work ethic and commitment to quality by his staff,” said Michelle Mayo, office manager at Maritime Marine.