Few individuals in the world have had as significant an impact on sport-fishing and boating as Sonny Middleton. Acclaimed businessman, avid conservationist and compassionate member of the local community, Middleton represented the very best of the maritime community. He passed away in 2017.
Ralph “Sonny” Middleton was born in 1937 and started in the family business of boat repair while he was still a teen. In 1957, after his father passed away, he formed Middleton Marine Engine Service and started a legacy which has grown to include Dog River Marina, A&M Yacht Sales, Dog River Fuel and Supply, and Middleton Marine. Over the past six decades, Middleton touched the lives of countless thousands of boat owners, captains, deckhands and anglers from the four corners of the world, sharing his passion for the sport as well as his humility and Southern humor. He’s been highly praised throughout the marine industry for his expertise in yachting and engineering modifications, and yet he always remained true to his roots. Understandably, Sonny’s business motto was a simple one: “No problem. Wide open. Straight up.”
Over the years, Middleton has received a remarkable number of awards and accolades for his achievements, both professional and personal. Dog River Marina was named Marina of the Year in 2000, and was the first to receive the Clean Marina designation in the state of Alabama. In 2012, he was awarded the Rybovich Lifetime Achievement Conservation Award by The Billfish Foundation. TBF President Ellen Peel called Middleton a legend in the Gulf Coast fishing community, saying, “Your long-term commitment to billfish conservation, sport-fishing tournaments and the recreational boating industry throughout the Gulf of Mexico has been exemplary, with a level of integrity and positive community involvement that goes far beyond what is required for business success.” In 2017, he was inducted as a Gulf Legend by the Blue Marlin Grand Championship billfish tournament in Orange Beach, Alabama.
Middleton was also active in a number of professional and civic organizations. One of his true and enduring passions was supporting the Treadwell Foundation, which provides local educational opportunities for underprivileged children in Mobile County. Middleton also has been a member or served on the boards of the Foundation of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Mobile Big Game Fishing Club, American Boat Yacht Safety Council, Hatteras Dealer Council, Alabama Marine Dealers, Gulf Coast Conservation Association and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In 2006, he was Member of the Year in the Mobile Yacht Club.
“I’ve been blessed,” Middleton said shortly before his passing. “My dad was in the boat business and I took it over many years ago, but I don’t feel like I’ve worked a day in my life, it’s all just been a lot of fun. I have to give all the credit for our success to my great employees, who are my big family, and to all our great customers and captains who’ve supported us over the years. I owe it all to them.”