Family, friends mourn student/fisherman

Max Julian remembered as hard working fisherman, good student, fun loving young man who cared deeply for his family

Bruce Burdett
Posted 6/11/21

LITTLE COMPTON — At 22 years old, Little Compton resident Maximus Julian was about to graduate …

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Family, friends mourn student/fisherman

Max Julian remembered as hard working fisherman, good student, fun loving young man who cared deeply for his family

Posted

LITTLE COMPTON — At 22 years old, Little Compton resident Maximus Julian was about to graduate with honors (business and marketing) from the University of Rhode Island while working strenuous fishing shifts with Point Trap Company out of Sakonnet Point.

That all came to an end early on Sunday, May 30.

Max had gone to a house party at a short-term rental on Newport’s lower Thames Street (548 Thames Street) when a fight broke out.

His father, Diago Julian, said that people had crashed the party and that his son and others were trying to get them to leave when a fight broke out.

Max suffered a stab wound to the neck. He was clinging to life when an ambulance delivered him to Newport Hospital where he died on June 1.

“The Julian family has had to overcome great hardship in the past few years, including spending months in the hospital due to various medical emergencies, and suffering a large fire to their property,” said a GoFundMe page set up by friends. “Yet despite all of these hardships, the Julian family maintains such a positive outlook on life and are deeply loved members of our community.”

Said Mr. Julian, “His brother and sister are shattered. His mother … there are no words.”

‘Everything you could want in a crew member’

Max Julian worked hard, loved to laugh and was a valued member of the Sakonnet Point trap fishing family.

Asked about him, crew mate Corey Wheeler Forrest wrote:

“Being part of a fishing crew, waking up at the crack of dawn, still yawning and wiping sleep from our eyes, there’s a shared intimacy that we are all (literally) in the same boat, working hard together every day, working with nature as the sun rises or weathering the storm. We become a kind of close-knit dysfunctional family.

“Max was everything you could want in a crewmember:  He wasn't afraid to work or jump into any situation; he was tough, strong, clever, and fun to work with.  He was a goofball with a rebellious streak, and I’d often jokingly scold him at the end of the day to ‘stay out of trouble,’ to which he’d respond with his handsome dimpled smile, ‘Who? Me?!’ 

“But mostly Max had a thoughtful and serious side that made me forget he was only 22.  He epitomized someone who had a bright future and so much more to give, offer, and learn. His loss is not just a loss to us as a crew member and member of our fishing family, but a loss to the world.  

“Hug your crew today.”

A fishing photo gallery of Max Julian can be found on Ms. Forrest’s Instagram site — @fishandforrest

Helping his family

Max had been living in Narragansett while in college but had recently returned to the family’s East Main Road home in Little Compton so that he could help out while his parents dealt with medical issues.

A graduate of Portsmouth High School, Class of 2016, Max was a hard worker, Diago Julian said, and had recently purchased his first new car.

Of the assailant, Mr. Diago told Channel 12, “If he could comprehend what he took from this world ... he would know what an evil thing he did.”

“We are heartbroken to hear of the passing of one of our business students,” said Dr. Maling Ebrahimpour, dean of URI’s  College of Business. “Maximus was a wonderful person who excelled in his studies here in the College of Business. This is a terrible loss for our college and for our community. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and are here for any student requiring grief resources,”

Max’s obituary read, in part …

Maximus H. Julian, 22, of Little Compton, tragically passed away from a random act of violence on June 1st, 2021, surrounded by his family.

Maximus was born in Little Compton, Rhode Island to his parents Diago and Nicole Julian.

Maximus was a graduate of Portsmouth High School, and was about to graduate from the University of Rhode Island in the fall with his bachelor's in Marketing.

Max was an avid BMX rider, fisherman and outdoorsman. He was someone who found joy in the little things and made friends everywhere he went. He was highly motivated and never gave up on anything he did.

Maximus is survived by his parents, Diago (Duke) and Nicole Julian, his older sister and her husband Abigail and Joshua Despres, his older brother and his fiancé Duke Julian and Mikayla Swenson, and his grandmothers, Marion Ponte and Debra Richard.

Max was a bright light, whom so many people gravitated towards. He was a loving and caring person who will be eternally missed.

Calling hours (were) held on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, from 4-7 pm at Fern Acres Funeral Home, 72 Willow Avenue in Little Compton, Rhode Island.

The funeral will be held on Wednesday, June 9th 2021, at Fern Acres Funeral Home at 11am. Burial will follow at Our Lady of Fatima Cemetery.

 Arrests made

Newport detectives later obtained arrest warrants for two men. They believe that Tyrese Poulsen, 18, is the person who stabbed Maximus, while they want Jamaal Reid, 19, for harboring a criminal and disorderly conduct.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Detective Joe Lavallee by calling (401) 845-5763 or emailing jlavallee@cityofnewport.com.

By this week, the GoFundMe page had raised just over the goal of $50,000.

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