Chef aboard the Red Rooster series of long range sport fishers for some 30 years, Jorge Nicifore passed away in the morning of April 21, after a nine-month struggle with a brain tumor. The illness came upon him suddenly, on the way home from a trip. Jorge ("George" in English) was one of the most-loved members of the San Diego fleet, and he will be greatly missed.

Here's a quote from John "Spike" Ivins, a former Rooster deckhand and good friend to Jorge:

"Jorge had been in the business a long time, he cooked on the Red Rooster I, II, & III, and worked for other boats prior to that. As a young man growing up in Tijuana he was a great boxer and was inducted into the Tijuana Boxing Hall of Fame. Jorge is, and always will be a great father, he put his children through college and his eldest daughter is now a doctor.

"He caught quite a few Yellowfin over 300 pounds, but his favorite thing was fishing for Wahoo. He made his own Wahoo Bombs and did very well at putting the fish aboard and cooking them later.

"Its kinda funny for me, I do most of the cooking at home, and not long ago my wife asked me where I learned to cook. I said from Jorge. In fact I still have and use recipes that he had written for me. Jorge was a great guy, a class act personality and a top-notch angler, who will be missed by many."

Donations for Jorge should go to JorgeNiciforeFund.org. Contact the Red Rooster III office for more information.