Home is Where the Harbor is: Angela-inez Gilham Makes a Living on the Water
Angela-inez Gilham was just 14 years old when she and her family set sail for a one-year adventure through the Intracoastal Waterway. Spanning 3,000 miles, the waterway was more than a route for Gilham and her family.
It was a gateway into deeper family connections and a future career path.
3,000 Miles of Memories
“My parents gave me and my brother that experience,” Gilham says. “As an adult, I appreciate it even more because it’s just something that not many people do. As my brother and I have gotten older, we’ve talked about that trip and shared memories.”
More than two decades later, Gilham is the Owner/Operator of Elite Marine Protection in Tacoma, Wash. The fully-mobile company specializes in serving the boating segment, installing paint protection film (PPF) and ceramic coatings.
“Boats connected me and my dad,” says Gilham, who founded her company in 2015. “We have very little in common, but he’s obsessed with boats. He’s a part of a yacht club. It’s the one thing that connects us together. Being able to work on boats and talk to my dad about it—there’s a spark between the two of us.”
Traversing Washington State in a metallic black 2011 Ford Expedition, Gilham says she’s willing to travel ‘anywhere.’
“The best part about working on boats is being on the water,” shares Gilham. “We live in a beautiful state. It doesn’t matter if it’s a rainy day—there’s always something beautiful about it.”
Gilham recently embarked on a two-hour journey North from Tacoma, Wash., to Anacortes, Wash., for a project.
“I love getting to a job at 7 a.m.,” she says with a smile. “The water is still. There’s birds, seals, and otters. You hear nearby cities wake up. I love appreciating the small things.”
Gilham’s Industry Start
An industry veteran of more than a decade, Gilham is Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified. She transitioned to full-time work with boats in 2015 after honing her automotive installation skills.
“I worked at body shops, starting as a detailer,” Gilham says. “But boats? Boats are where it’s at.”
Autobahn Dealer Gilham installs Autobahn Incognito Paint Protection Film (PPF) and Autobahn Nautik, two products suitable for the sea.
“Incognito works better than some of the other films I’ve used on boats,” Gilham says. “My installations focus on high-impact places. We look at upper brows, lower brows, and hard tops. We also look at the exhaust areas of the hull.”
As far as ceramic coatings, Gilham says she’s observed a market shift.
“About four years ago, I was able to convert 80% of my clientele base from waxes to ceramic coatings,” Gilham says. “I still offer waxes, and a lot of people are dead set on that. But ceramic coatings are getting much bigger in the area.”
The Legacy of Duggan Foster
“He taught me how to be a good person and how to live my life,” Stan Foster says of his son, Duggan. “He taught me how to value things that people take for granted. He taught me not to judge people and to forgive. He helped me understand people.”
30 Days
Duggan passed away at 45 years old on August 14, 2023, after a lifelong fight with various cancers. His battles started at 16 in 1993, when he was diagnosed with brain cancer.
“The doctor gave him 30 days to live,” says Stan, who received the heartbreaking news with his wife, Alexia. “But we didn’t accept that. We, as a family, never accept defeat. We have always fought anything that there is to fight.”
Duggan underwent an 18-hour surgery at The University of California, San Francisco. Doctors removed the tumors, but the operation led to a variety of long-term complications. He suffered a loss of vision and issues related to his pituitary gland, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and kidneys.
“Humans can be cruel,” Stan says. “He gained a lot of weight because of metabolic issues. People were mean. It broke our heart, but it was a part of the deal. He accepted his situation and overcame it. He was never bitter; he never retaliated because he knew they didn’t understand his situation.”
Knowing the Score
Despite being legally blind, Duggan worked at his family’s long-time window film business, Alexia’s Window Tinting in Beaverton, Ore., for more than two decades. He worked as a graphic designer, creating signs and wraps.
“Working with us was the best thing that ever happened to him,” says Stan, whose son found joy in assisting customers. “He was in a loving environment. He surrounded himself with people that cared. As he would say, ‘They knew the score.’ Like in a baseball game, if you don’t know the score, you don’t know what’s going on. He worked hard to overcome his limitations–he didn’t accept them.”
For Duggan, health issues were never roadblocks; they were opportunities. He pursued a degree in Assistive Technology at Portland Community College when he was 22 years old.
“He wanted to help people who had physical problems, too,” Stan says. “He wanted to help other people achieve their dreams.”
When Life Gives you Lemons …
“He bought his first car right before his 16th birthday, and then lost his vision,” Stan says. “He only got to drive for one day, but he really enjoyed that one day. He was never bitter about anything; he always kept a good attitude. He always said, ‘When life gives you lemons, don’t make lemonade. Make Lemon Chiffon Pie.’ He never made his situation sad.”
Fighting Forward
Duggan graduated college with a degree in Assistive Technology at 44 years old, 20 years after he started school. Day after day, week after week, and year after year, he persevered … one semester at a time.
Shortly after receiving his diploma, on January 13, 2023, Duggan was diagnosed with Stage Four Esophageal cancer.
“The doctor told us that it was terminal,” Stan shares. “All that they could do was to try to prolong his life and make him comfortable. But we never gave up until we were forced to.”
5:52 a.m.
“One of the last conversations I had with Duggan was about God,” Stan says. “He shared that he was okay with what was happening. He wished things were different, but they weren’t. He told us that he loved us.”
Duggan passed away at 5:52 a.m. on August 14, 2023. 50 days later, Stan still wakes up at that time each morning in remembrance.
“I hope people remember Duggan as a good person,” Stan says. “I’ve taught people how to tint professionally for 20 years. People have told me that they wouldn’t trade their week of training for anything because they got to meet Duggan. He showed people what was important in life and what wasn’t. He showed them that they could do anything. They just had to stick with it and never quit.”
Registered Nurse Alexia Hoffman, Duggan’s sister, shared a heartfelt message shortly after his passing: “ … Duggan would want us to thrive, he would want us to be okay, he’d even want us to find happiness. I’ll be honest, right now happiness seems pretty unattainable, but I know that one day something will happen and I’ll feel that feeling again, I’ll feel joy and experience happiness … I’ll honor him by continuing to live, by finding the motivation to keep going, by finding the light.”
