Curtis Wyman Bostick

Curtis Wyman Bostick died of a heart attack on February 22, 2019, at the age of 83, in his home on Marco Island with his wife by his side. He took great pride in being born in Marco Island long before it became what it now is and it was most fitting that he his life should end there also. At one time he and his mother and grandmother lived in a palmetto shack with no electricity or running water. At the age of 2 his father, died of an accidental electrocution. He and his mother lived with her sister in Fort Myers until his mother’s death when he was 11. He completed his school years in the Lee County Schools and upon graduation joined the Marine Corps where he spent his enlistment time as a presidential guard to President and Mrs. Eisenhower and a member of the Color Guard. Upon his retirement from the Marine Corps he was able to attend the University of Florida on the G.I. Bill. While attending the university with a major in accounting he met his future wife, Diane Hudson, also from Fort Myers, whom he married in 1959. Upon graduation and getting his CPA license they moved to Miami where he joined a large accounting firm. They had one child, Dawn Elizabeth, while living there before they moved back to Fort Myers to join a small accounting firm which became Gilbert, Brown and Bostick where he was a partner. During that time they had two additional children, Andrew and Steve. Several years later he was asked to become vice president of Harper Brothers Construction Company which he accepted. He retired from that job at the age of 45. Although he never again held a 9-5 job, he remained on the boards of various other companies and associations such as The Mariner Group, CCA, Center for Sportfishing Policy, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and Robb and Stucky. He also became the Marco Island representative as a board member of Lee County Electric Cooperative, a position he held for 30 years.

Curtis spent a great deal of time traveling with friends and family to many parts of the world where he fished but mostly enjoyed being, as he would say, “where fish live.” Being an avid fisherman he became very interested in fishery conservation. He and Alex Jernigan started the Florida chapter of the Coastal Conservation where he was a board member for many years. He was invited to become a founding member of the board of the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust which he eagerly accepted. He devoted much time and interest to both of these groups and was honored and pleased to be a part of such an illustrious group of fishery conservationists and educators.

He was a wonderful, kind and loving husband to his wife for 60 years; a milestone they celebrated on February 1, 2019. He was preceded in death by his son Steve. He leaves behind his wife, Diane, a son, Andrew (Lee), a daughter Dawn Aitenhead (Bill) and 4 grandchildren, Davey (Kristin), Hillary, Kyle and Rachael. He will be buried in the Marco Island Cemetery, not far from his youngest son Steve’s grave and among many other early settlers of the island. There will be no service or memorial at his request. No flowers, please. If you desire to do so, he would have appreciated a donation be made to either the Coastal Conservation Association: CCA Florida 4061 Forrestall Ave. Suite 8, Orlando, Florida 32806-6151 or the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust 135 San Lorenzo Ave. Suite 860 Coral Gables, Fl. 33146.