ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Former Monkey Bus owner/operator Roque Pastorius, 61, passed away during the early morning hours on Jan. 30.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 40 years, Kathy, their adult daughters, Cassandra, Michelle and Stephanie, four grandchildren and one step-grandchild. After coming down to comfort their mom, Cassandra, Michelle and Stephanie have returned to their Minnesota homes. Kathy is headed back to her and Roque’s home in North Branch, Minn. on Saturday, Feb. 15.
According to Kathy, the cause of death was cardiac arrest and hypertension and he passed in the couple’s fifth-wheel trailer that was parked at Roque’s parents’ home in Bradenton. After selling the Monkey Bus business in 2022, Roque and Kathy divided their time between Bradenton, North Branch and anywhere else their retirement travels brought them. They returned to Bradenton in November to help care for Roque’s dad, Maynard, and his ailing mom, Delores.
Before buying the business that would become the Monkey Bus, Roque was a transport driver, fueler and mechanic for a Grand Prix racing team. His past professions also included hauling heavy machinery and equipment and using mud to raise and repair cement foundations and driveways.
“He got bored easily,” Kathy said of his many professions.
Roque was an Anna Maria Island Privateer, a Mason, a Shriner and he often played Santa Claus and local events and fundraisers. He will be laid to rest in North Branch later this year.
Monkey Bus
Roque and Kathy bought the Island Beach Monkeys business in 2013. According to Kathy and Michelle, Roque was down in Florida with the race team and because it was 15-below in Minnesota he decided to go visit his Mom and Dad in Bradenton. While there, he met Janet, the owner of Island Beach Monkeys shuttle service that then utilized golf cart-like vehicles.
When Roque returned to Minnesota, he told Kathy he wanted to buy Island Beach Monkeys and the rest is history. They rented a house in Holmes Beach and that’s where the first Monkey bus was parked. Locals began referring to the business as “The Monkey Bus” and over time, the Monkey Bus fleet grew to six buses.
The Monkey Buses provided free (and entertaining) rides all over Anna Maria Island, to Cortez and points beyond, with karaoke often sung along the way. The drivers benefitted from passengers’ tips and advertising on and inside the buses helped cover operating costs.
In 2016, Gov. Rick Scott presented Roque with a certificate of appreciation for transporting veterans to an awards ceremony in Sarasota. Roque originally drove the Monkey Bus but as the business grew, he brought on other drivers, including Stephanie, so he could focus on running the business, taking reservations and coordinating rides.
“His phone rang day and night,” Kathy said.
Sunset ceremony
A local sunset celebration of Roque’s life was held Feb. 4 at the south end of Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach that continued at the Swordfish Grill in Cortez.
While standing near the Gulf of Mexico, Michelle said, “He was a legend. He wanted to make a name for himself and he did it. He was very well-known down here.”
Longtime Holmes Beach resident Laurel Nevans said, “Roque was the best Santa Claus this Island ever had. With the Monkey Bus, Roque saved hundreds of Islanders from DUIs. He was way too young and this is way too soon, but I am glad I had the opportunity to know him and I’m so glad he became a part of your Island.”
Privateer and local bartender Adam Cross said, “He was an amazing person and a great human being. He brought everyone joy. I went out with him the day before he passed. For three hours, at the Sports Lounge, we talked about everything.”
As sunset arrived, shots of tequila were passed out; and in a fitting stroke of coincidence, the Longboat Pass Bridge raised as Roque’s family and friends toasted to his memory.
Swordfish gathering
Swordfish Grill owner John Banyas said, “Roque was a good guy and a good friend and he brought a lot of customers to the Swordfish. He was an original.”
Roque’s dad, Maynard, simply said, “I just miss him.”
Former Cortez resident and artist Rose Lipke painted some of the Monkey Buses, one of which she and Roque used to deliver hurricane relief supplies after Hurricane Irma struck in 2017.
“Roque called and said, ‘Rosie, we’ve got to do something. I’ve got the bus. Let’s fill it up and go on a road trip.’ We made some phone calls and put together a drive for supplies and loaded the bus up and drove down to Everglades City and stayed there for five days. Roque slept on bags of dog food inside the bus. I slept in the back of my truck. Every morning, he got up and started cooking and we gave stuff away.”
Lipke said she and Roque participated in several other community assistance efforts after that.
“He was always the first one to call me. The things I’m going to miss the most are Roque’s huge heart and his bear hugs,” Lipke said.
“Cheers to Roque,” she and Kathy said in unison and glasses were raised again in Roque’s honor.
Family thoughts
The following day, Kathy, Cassandra, Michelle and Stephanie shared some additional thoughts by phone.
When asked what they’ll miss and how they’ll carry on without Roque, Kathy said, “I don’t like this new normal. I miss him so bad. I’ll miss his hugs and playing with my hair. He was a wonderful guy. I’m overwhelmed by the outpouring of support.”
“He loved his motorcycle, fishing, hunting, traveling and scuba diving,” she added.
“Me and my dad were a lot alike and we butted heads a lot, but we always came back to each other. I’ll be embracing and depending on my mom. He was such a great grandfather too and he was all in, 110%,” Cassandra said.
“I’m going to miss him. I want to hug him and I just want him back. I’ll miss being able to call my dad, tell him things and he would diagnose the problem over the phone,” Michelle said. “He taught me how to be the calm in the storm and how to be positive and make things OK.”
“I learned so much from him,” Stephanie said. “He taught me how to change the oil and raise concrete with mud. He taught me how to drive the Monkey Bus and how to talk to people. Whenever I did anything really cool or really exciting and I called to tell him he’d always say, ‘Way Baby,’ which meant like, ‘hell yeah,’ ” she said.
Michelle’s young son, Levi, said, “He was a great man.”
Her son, Wyatt, said, “I loved him so much. He taught me how to fish.”
Later that day, Kathy, Cassandra, Michelle and Stephanie and six other family members got shark tattoos that resembled the last tattoo Roque designed and had tattooed on him.
Additional thoughts
Drew Chapman said, “He was a really good friend of mine and I worked for him for several years driving the Monkey Bus. He had a very vivid imagination and he was a dreamer. He was always coming up with ideas. He wanted to build a musical highway. That was one of his big dreams. If you drove over the bumps on the side of the road at a certain speed it would play a song. He always wanted to be an artist. He was trying to do air-brushing, painting and he was making things out of coconuts. He was a really good mechanic and very mechanically inclined. He was my go-to guy when I needed something fixed,” Chapman said.
When asked what he’ll miss most, Chapman said, “Probably his laugh.”
Drift-In Manager Doreen Flynn said, “Roque was a wonderful man. He always had a helping hand and his smile made you smile.”
Former Manatee County Building Official Bill Palmer, left, participated in a Nov. 6 meeting with Cortez residents to present FEMA post-hurricane information. - Leslie Lake | Sun
