ANNA MARIA – Businessman and resident Mike Coleman passed away shortly before midnight on Aug. 14. He was 74.
“Micheal died at home on our 39th wedding anniversary. He was my best friend and the best thing that ever happened to me,” said his beloved wife, Jane.
“He started to not feel well back in January. When he finally went to the hospital, he was diagnosed with stage 4 liver and colon cancer. He came home from the hospital on July 12th or 13th. He was in his bedroom and we took care of him until he passed. For a while, he was getting up in the morning and sitting out in the living room. There were people he wanted to talk to and people who wanted to talk to him. He was tying up loose ends and saying what he wanted to say. An extreme peace came over Micheal. It was beautiful and amazing to watch. He had a great day on Wednesday, went downhill from there and passed away on Sunday. It was pretty close to midnight and at the end of the day of our anniversary. He got through that day,” Jane said.
“Micheal grew up in Pompano Beach. He left when he went into the Air Force and didn’t live in Florida again for many years. One day we were driving through Florida and we literally stumbled upon this Island. We crossed the Cortez Bridge, headed north and when we got to Anna Maria, Micheal said, ‘Janie, this is like the Florida I grew up with. I didn’t know this existed anymore.’ We started visiting frequently and built the house on Pine Avenue in 2005 and moved in.
“Michael and I would walk up and down Pine Avenue and realize how many abandoned properties there were – and how there was originally a plan for this street that had gone awry because Pine Avenue was soon going to become all residential. We talked about how we could restore and preserve the original plan for Pine Avenue,” Jane said.
Coleman and fellow businessman Ed Chiles then initiated the Pine Avenue Restoration (PAR) project that would help reshape the Pine Avenue business district into what it is today.
“The PAR project started to come together in 2007 and started to be real in 2008. We were standing in our driveway on the Fourth of July in 2009 and the Island Accommodations building at 315 Pine was finished and Island Accommodations had moved in,” Jane said, noting the couple later moved to Sycamore Avenue.
“People respected and appreciated Micheal, even if they didn’t always agree with him. Micheal was an entrepreneur. At all times he was starting and developing businesses. That’s what he did from the time he was a young man. He designed computer businesses for engineers in Silicon Valley in the early 80s. Michael was totally goal oriented. He didn’t have a hobby. He was always working on a project. Michael took an interest in young people, especially young people who wanted to start a business. Micheal showed them how they could do it, how they could have their dreams,” Jane said.
Jane noted she and Mike did not own the Poppo’s Taqueria restaurant on the 200 block of Pine Avenue, but it is a family business.
“That’s the boys: Patrick, Casey and Patrick’s wife, Rowen. Jack is not an owner, but he started working at Poppo’s when he was 13 and he’s the head of catering. Nate is the graphic designer and marketing director. John, our oldest son, is a builder for Ross Built Construction,” she said.
“I’d like Micheal to be remembered as somebody who everyday genuinely thought about what he could do to help and preserve this community. If somebody was having a problem, he got up in the morning and went to work to help them. If somebody needed his input, they got it. Micheal tried to accomplish something for people’s well-being every single day. That’s why he was my best friend – because that’s what he did for me. Micheal lived well,” Jane said.
PAR project
Regarding Coleman’s passing, Chiles said, “It’s sad, but he died peacefully at home with his family around him. The number one thing in his life was Janie and his family. He left quite a mark on Anna Maria. He was smart and he was a hard worker. He was a unique guy and a good friend.”
When pursuing the PAR project, Coleman and Chiles encountered many challenges while getting their retail/office/residential projects approved by the city and the city commission.
“The PAR project was Mike’s idea. He came to me and said we should do something to make sure the main street of Anna Maria became what it was always supposed to be, dating back to when they first built the City Pier. In 2004, some big houses got built along Pine Avenue. You could see that Pine Avenue was going to go all residential and we were going to lose the opportunity to have that small business district that makes a town or a village. We were in danger of losing that. Mike came to me with the idea of getting some of those properties under contract and creating a vision for making that small business district a reality. We voted with our checkbooks to say we wanted it to happen in a way that reflected the value, character and history of the city,” Chiles said.
“On a bicycle he pulled from the weeds and refurbished, Mike pedaled around in his cargo shorts and T-shirt and the next thing you know we had several properties under contract. Ted LaRoche joined us and we all partnered in the PAR project with Mike as the operating partner. We went on a quixotic journey that Mike was instrumental in getting us through. It was quite a struggle. Not everybody liked it, but most people thought it was a pretty good thing,” Chiles said, noting the PAR properties were later sold to other owners.
A respected figure
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said, “Known by many as the ‘Mayor of Pine Avenue,’ Micheal helped change the face of the main artery of our city. But Micheal’s most important accomplishment was that of being a family man, totally devoted to his wife and children.”
City Commissioner Carol Carter said, “Mike was a part of the fabric of Anna Maria and Pine Avenue. He cared about our city and was a valued ‘watchdog’ who often kept me on my toes with regard to city issues. He will be greatly missed by our community.”
City Commissioner Jon Crane said, “Mike had an oversized influence on Pine Avenue and Anna Maria. May he rest in peace.”
Anna Maria General Store and City Pier Grill business owner Brian Seymour said, “My relationship with Mike was as a fellow small business owner and he was always supportive of the small businesses in Anna Maria. Whether we were competing, as we did for the City Pier contract, or sharing ideas to strengthen our business community and community, he was always kind and respectful. His presence in and around Anna Maria will be missed.”
Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore said, “Mike Coleman was an asset to Anna Maria. He stood up for difficult projects and saw them through to the end. Anna Maria would not be the same without the character and vision of Mike Coleman and Ed Chiles.”
Speaking on behalf of the Sato family that owns and operates several businesses on Pine Avenue, Jason Sato said, “Although there was a lot of controversy back in the day, what Mike and Ed and Ted did for Pine Avenue with the PAR project created more opportunities for people to start businesses and live on the Island. Mike spent a lot of time working on the PAR project and we owe a lot to him for doing that. Pine Avenue has become a destination and PAR played a big part of that. Pine Avenue now has real estate offices, ice cream shops, restaurants, retail stores, the general store, a design studio, golf cart and bike rentals and more. If it wasn’t for PAR, we probably wouldn’t have that. People saw what PAR did and that inspired them to start their own businesses.”
Ginny’s and Jane E’s owner Paul Foster mentioned Coleman’s passing on Facebook.
“Micheal was a good man, very active in his community. He had an opinion, he shared it and I liked him for it, agree or not with him. I will miss our talks. He was always a good listener and he took an active interest in our business and its success. He did the same with Josh and Bri at The Porch. He loved young people venturing out on their own. The world seemed quiet today, noticeably missing a voice that will be no longer heard,” Foster wrote.
In her Facebook comment, community member Cindy Thompson wrote, “He was larger than life and unapologetically who he was. While impossible to always agree with him, you always respected him. His contribution to Pine Ave, Anna Maria, the community center, the Chamber and the Island community as a whole was vast and is a legacy he and his family can be proud of. I will always be grateful for his friendship, guidance and advice.”
A public memorial service will take place at the CrossPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach on Thursday, Aug. 25 at 9:30 a.m.
