Captain Michael L. Ring

McAllister Towing mourns the passing of Captain Michael L. Ring. Mike had over 50 years of experience in the maritime industry and joined the McAllister family in the 1970’s in our Puerto Rico operations. In the early 1990’s, Mike joined McAllister Towing of Florida as a Tug Master, was promoted to Operations Manager and in 1995 was elevated to the position of Vice President and General Manager. Captain Ring eventually was promoted to Vice President of Southeast Operations overseeing McAllister operations in Jacksonville, Port Everglades and San Juan. Mike retired in 2021 but remained in the McAllister family as a valuable consultant.

Many current and former McAllister employees hold fond memories of Captain Ring. Jacksonville Docking Pilot Bobby Johnson remarked, “I worked with Capt. Ring on the tugs when I was 16 as his deckhand. Back then, McAllister was recovering from the strike and Mike was focused on getting the company through everything. He went after a variety of work to keep us afloat and when he took over as GM, began to assemble a loyal core group of employees here in Jacksonville. Captain Ring is one of the most respected men in the local maritime circle. He believed in growing talent from the ground up. He truly saw the good in people and encouraged everyone to be their best. Most of all he was humble and just asked one thing of all of us, in his words "be a good human".” Captain Charles W. Runnion, current VP of Southeast Operations and Port Everglades General Manager, who worked with Capt. Ring for over 30 years, added “Mike was a friend and a mentor, and will be sorely missed. If it wasn’t for Capt. Ring, I wouldn’t be where I am today. His maritime knowledge was unsurpassed, and he was fond of sharing it with me. Most importantly, I was honored and privileged to have a close and personal relationship with him and his family, which allowed me to witness him as a devoted family man, a principle that should be followed by all.”

We have lost a dear friend, teammate and exceptional mariner. May Captain Ring’s memory be a blessing to all those who knew him and may the Lord grant him fair winds and following seas.