ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Retired Chiles Group Chief Financial Officer Martha Wright passed away on Oct. 20.
Martha retired a few years ago and in recent years experienced some lingering health issues. During her time with the Chiles Group (now known as Chiles Hospitality), she played a pivotal role in the success of the Sandbar restaurant in Anna Maria, the BeachHouse restaurant in Bradenton Beach and the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub in Longboat Key.
“I had the privilege to work with Martha Wright for 33 years,” Chiles Hospitality founder Ed Chiles said. “If I had to pick one person who was the most responsible for the success we have had for over four decades in this business, it would be Martha. Generations of locals and guests to our area have enjoyed our unique locations and Martha’s passion, dedication and professionalism were instrumental in making that possible.”
Former Chiles Group Marketing Director Caryn Hodge said, “Martha and I worked together for many years at the Chiles Group. She championed me for the position of marketing director. We were not just colleagues, but true friends. We bonded over our shared love and passion for helping homeless pets. We became even closer after she retired, keeping in touch with each other up until her passing. To me, she was a mentor – someone who was a great listener and advice-giver with such patience and love. She was a loyal friend and confidant, and I will miss her so much. The one thing that gives me solace is knowing she is now with her beloved dog and soul mate, Ringo.”
Former Chiles Group Office Manager Lynda Bailey said, “Martha always made me want to do better at work and as a person. I will miss her a lot.”
“Martha’s door was always open,” former Chiles Group IT Manager Lisa Castro said. “She was kind and generous. I’m grateful for her friendship and the time we spent together, and I will miss her dearly.”
Cheryl Wade runs the Gulf Shore Animal League, which Wright was heavily involved in.
“Martha gave generously of her time to volunteer as Gulf Shore Animal League’s treasurer for the past 16 years,” Wade said. “Martha was a compassionate soul and she had a deep love of animals, especially cats. She never looked the other way when there was an animal in need. We are grateful for her enduring friendship, lifelong advocacy for animals and tireless dedication to support our mission to reduce the population of homeless cats in Manatee County through our Trap-Neuter-Return program. Martha’s generous heart and spirit of kindness will stay with us always.”
A celebration of life will be held at The Pavilion at the Sandbar in Anna Maria on Friday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.
ANNA MARIA – Pat Copeland’s celebration of life included family, friends, co-workers, tears, laughter, music, poetry and a New Orleans-style second-line march down Pine Avenue.
Pat passed away on June 13 at the age of 76. The longtime Anna Maria resident spent decades working as a newspaper reporter and copy editor at the Anna Maria Island Sun and other local newspapers.
In 1990, she and Carolyne Norwood co-founded the Anna Maria Island Historical Society and Historical Museum to preserve the Island’s history.
Pat Copeland leaves a lasting legacy on Anna Maria Island. – Anna Hayden | Submitted
The July 8 celebration of life began at Roser Memorial Community Church and opened with a recorded version of Simon and Garfunkel’s “59th Street Bridge Song,” which includes the lines, “Slow down, you move too fast … looking for fun and feeling groovy.”
Son-in-law Kevin Griffith provided the opening and closing remarks. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Kevin Griffith is married to Layla Copeland, Pat and Doug Copeland’s oldest daughter, and he welcomed the attendees.
“On behalf of the entire Copeland family, we express our heartfelt gratitude with you for sharing this ceremony to honor Pat’s amazing life. Although we carry immeasurable sadness, we also hold a deep love and affection for Pat as we celebrate her memory,” he said.
While reciting the children’s poem, “Birdsong,” granddaughter Lily Nolan said, “He doesn’t know the world at all, who stays in his nest and doesn’t go out… A blackbird sings upon a bush to greet the dawning after night, Then I know how fine it is to live.”
Lily Nolan and George Griffith recited poems in honor of their grandmother. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
While reciting Mason Williams’ “Life Song,” grandson George Griffith said, “Isn’t life beautiful, isn’t life gay, isn’t life the perfect thing to pass the time away.”
Layla Copeland rested her arm on the arm of her dad, Doug Copeland. – Cindy Lane | Sun
Pat and Doug’s youngest daughter, Anna Copeland, sat at the baby grand piano and said, “My mother was smart, kind, patient, creative and so much more. But when I think of her, the first thing I think of is how much fun she was. I think of all the wild and wacky times we had as a family. She made sure everyone around her was having fun too. She was a great champion of others. She encouraged and uplifted people. She believed in me way more than I believed in myself and seeing her confidence helped me follow my dreams.”
Anna then played and sang a beautiful rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
Daughter Layla Copeland played and sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” – Joe Hendricks | Sun
While reciting Kenneth Patchen’s poem, “I Feel Drunk All the Time,” Anna’s husband, Norris Nolan, said, “O you’re a merry bastard Mr. Death and I wish you didn’t have no hand in this game because it’s too damn beautiful for anybody to die.”
Norris Nolan recited a poem in honor of his mother-in-law. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
After a recording of Phil Och’s “When I’m Gone,” was played, Layla eulogized her mom.
Daughter Layla Copeland eulogized her mom. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I’m grateful that my mother was able to be part of your lives, just as I’m thankful she was such an important part of mine,” she said.
“The 1960s helped shape my mom’s consciousness and who she was. It gave her the writers, poets and musicians whose words meant so much to her. The sixties taught her that the value in life wasn’t held in things, but in the substance of your actions, friendships, community and above all, love.
“She would feed our passions with books and music, encouraging us to expand our minds and beliefs. She led by example, giving us the freedom to be wild, weird, whatever we wanted to be. She was the compass that steered all of us, enriching our lives in the process. Mom was our biggest supporter and always our most ardent defender,” Layla said.
Regarding her parents’ marriage, Layla said, “In 1972, they married while here in Anna Maria visiting Dad’s parents. Mom sewed a wedding shirt for Dad from an old curtain and quickly stitched up a dress for herself. There wasn’t any fanfare. No flowers, no guests. My grandfather presided over the ceremony in my grandparents’ living room on North Shore Drive. It wasn’t fancy, but it was true and honest, just like them and their 50-year marriage.”
Regarding her mom’s legacy, Layla said, “Much has been said about my mother and her contributions to the Island. She helped write the pages of its history for over 35 years and in doing so she is now and forever woven into the rich tapestry of this Island. Maya Angelou once said that your legacy is every life you touch. For my mother, the grasp of that touch extended beyond the people in this room. It reaches to every person who learns something from reading her articles, every visitor who sets foot inside the historical museum, every museum scholarship recipient and all the future generations of our family because we will all carry her legacy forward.”
Pat Copeland’s family members painted and decorated the parasols used in the second-line march. – Joe Hendricks | SunKevin then invited everyone to join in the second-line march to the Historical Museum.
“There’s one requirement: you must put a little strut in your step. We have music and we have parasols hand-decorated by Pat’s grandchildren, with a little help from the family. Grandma, Pat, we love you and we miss you. But as my son Louis told his mother last week: We can speak to grandma any time we want and we will be comforted to know that she’ll always be listening,” he said. A recorded version of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” followed his remarks.
The second line march started at the Roser Memorial Community Church. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Outside the church, folks were greeted by a second-line duo, Jammin’ Jambalaya, featuring Chris Clifton on trombone and Mark Zauss on trumpet and pulling a small speaker emitting the snappy drum parts needed for a second-line march down Pine Avenue.
At the museum grounds, former city commissioner Dale Woodland said, “That was special.”
“She would’ve loved it,” Pat’s sister, Anna Hayden, said.
Grandson Louis Griffith helped decorate the second-line parasols. – Joe Hendricks | SunWende Webb, Cindy Thompson and Caryn Hodge flashed their second-line parasols. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Red wine, bottled water and mini-cupcakes were served behind the Belle Haven Cottage and Doug proposed a toast taken from an old TV commercial.
“Pat and I adopted it as the Copeland family toast. So, raise a glass. Let’s drink to Pat: ‘Salute and happy days,’ ” Doug said.
Doug Copeland proposed a toast to his wife. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When sharing his final thoughts on the celebration,” Doug said, “Good party. Love you, Pat.”
BRADENTON BEACH – The life and legacy of longtime Bradenton Beach resident David Marshall was memorialized and celebrated on Saturday.
Marshall, 74, was struck by a car while crossing the street near his Bradenton home on Aug. 24. On Sept. 5, he passed away as a result of the injuries he suffered.
His memorial service took place Saturday morning at the Harvey Memorial Community Church in Bradenton Beach, followed that afternoon by a celebration of life at the Drift In, where Marshall worked in various capacities for the better part of four decades. During his time in Bradenton Beach, Marshall also worked at the Bridge Tender Inn, Oma’s pizza and the old Sun House restaurant.
Known by locals and visitors worldwide for his gregarious personality, his beard and his feathered and decorated hat, Marshall was also well known for playing Santa Claus and Father Time during local holiday events.
Marshall eulogized
Led by Pastor Steve King, the memorial service included a eulogy given by Marshall’s step-daughter Roberta Perella, who traveled from her home in Massachusetts.
“To know David was to meet an extraordinary person. He was his authentic self and his first impression was him to the core. He was unique and impressionable. His heart and soul were nothing less than kind, caring and peaceful,” Perella stated in her eulogy.
“David was also a caring husband. Though they just wed this past June, David and my mom (Martha Kelley Marshall) were together 23 years. They were a unique couple with so much love for one another, and it was evident. As my sister said, our mother has lost her swan,” Perella stated in her eulogy.
“The name David means ‘beloved.’ Indeed he was. David was a legend. David, may we all remember your kindness, love and peace. Please watch over us all on your celestial travels with your wings made of shining gold. And, if we come across a random feather, we’ll always remember to stick it in our hat,” Perella stated in her eulogy.
Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie and acting Police Chief John Cosby were among those who attended Marshall’s memorial service, and they joined the others in singing “You Are My Sunshine” in Marshall’s honor.
“It was an actual celebration of life. It was old Bradenton Beach,” Cosby said.
A life celebrated
The celebration of life included live music by Dos-Macs, a pot-luck dinner, a memory table and wall adorned with photographs of Marshall and his family members and friends, and a memory jar in which people could share their written memories of Marshall.
The memory wall inside the Drift In served as a collage of David Marshall’s well-lived life. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Perella expressed her gratitude and appreciation for the efforts of Drift In owners Joe and Angela Cuervo and manager Doreen Flynn.
“The Cuervos have been nothing but hospitable to my mom and in memory of David having this phenomenal celebration. Doreen did a ton of work coordinating everything and that is so appreciated. I’m overwhelmed by the Privateers bringing their Santa’s Sleigh and having a plaque to hang on the sleigh in David’s honor. David loved his community and he gave back to it in so many different ways. The community is rallying around my mom and you can feel the love.”
Regarding the still active “David Marshall Recovery” GoFundMe online fundraiser, Perella said, “We appreciate all the donations. The proceeds already donated went toward David’s cremation and ceremony.”
Roberta Perella, Martha Kelley Marshall and Martha “Marti” Michael appreciate the community’s support during a difficult time. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
While seated at the bar next to an empty seat left vacant in her late husband’s honor, Martha Kelley Marshall said the community’s response was “overwhelming.”
“David loved them all. The service was beautiful and my daughter gave a beautiful eulogy. Thank you to everybody,” she said.
Martha “Marti” Michael is Martha Marshall’s daughter and Roberta Perella’s sister. When asked about her step-dad, the New Hampshire resident said, “Even though this was a tragedy, everyone still has a smile on their face thinking about David.”
Bill Wisotzke wore a festively-decorated hat in David Marshall’s honor. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Longtime Drift In patron Bill Wisotzke was among those who wore a decorative hat in Marshall’s honor.
“This is in commemoration of our great pal David Marshall. I wore a hat with all this stuff on it as an imitation of him, which is the best form of flattery,” Wisotzke said.
Anna Maria Island Privateers Terry “Cookie” Rapert and Kristen “Beaver” Terrell presented Marshall’s wife with a plaque of appreciation that says, “In loving memory of our beloved Santa, David Marshall.”
Regarding the plaque, Rapert said, “Dave Marshall has been our Santa for our Christmas in July for Lord knows how many years. We made a plaque for his wife and we’re going to put one on our sleigh.”
In reference to the large number of people gathered at the Drift In, Marshall’s nephew Erik Marshall said, “This is amazing. This shows how many people’s lives he touched in 45 years out here.”
HOLMES BEACH – Anna Maria Island lost a good friend with the recent passing of Courtney Call.
Call, 43, was a Holmes Beach resident who spent several years working as a bartender at the Anchor Inn in Holmes Beach and at TommyKnockers Saloon in Bradenton Beach. She leaves behind her 16-year-old son, Matthew Curry.
Christina Redden created a GoFundMe fundraising account for Matthew.
“On Saturday, June 5th, we lost a beautiful soul, Courtney Call. Courtney passed suddenly in her sleep overnight, leaving behind her 16-year-old son, Matthew. This page was created in advocacy of Matthew for his mother’s cremation and for his financial needs moving forward. Any and all contributions are greatly appreciated. Many thanks to all for your love and support,” says the statement Redden posted at the fundraising page.
A celebration of life will be held at TommyKnockers Saloon in Bradenton Beach at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 18 – with a sunset memorial on the beach across the street from the Wicked Cantina and TommyKnockers.
The Anchor Inn in Holmes Beach will host a small memorial ceremony and a large fundraising event and auction for Matthew at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 23.
According to Anchor Inn owner Darla Tingler, Matthew was visiting family members in Maine at the time of his mother’s passing. Tingler said Call worked off and on at the Anchor Inn for eight years.
“Courtney would do anything for anybody. She would help someone else before she took care of herself,” Tingler said.
Regarding the June 23 fundraiser, Tingler said, “We’ve had a tremendous response to our request for donations. William Annis, from Island Vacation Properties, had one property owner donate a two-night, weekend stay at a beachfront home; and Jeff Higgins is helping us set up an online auction. Check the Anchor Inn’s Facebook page for fundraiser updates and donation opportunities.”
Courtney Call, (fifth from right/black T-shirt), was tending bar at TommyKnockers in June 2020 when Florida’s bars were allowed to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When asked about Call’s passing, TommyKnockers’ owner Frank Commendatore said, “I loved her like family. That fiery redhead will be sorely missed. She was a beautiful, kind-hearted soul.”
Courtney remembered
Call’s passing prompted several Facebook posts from those who knew and loved her.
In her post, Pamela Lazaroff wrote, “Our friend Courtney Call had one of the biggest hearts on the Island! She will be greatly missed! Feels like we have misplaced a key puzzle piece in our community. To honor her, we can support each other and carry on her unwavering kindness to those around us.”
Patrick Hannigan’s Facebook post said, “Courtney was one of the first people I met on the Island, she introduced me to many good people, told me ‘who was who,’ helped with whatever came up and always had food and water for Tulley (the lab) at TK’s so he wouldn’t feel left out. She made a fellow ‘Yank’ feel very welcome on AMI! Terrible, terrible loss to the Island, condolences to all.”
Billy Lavelle’s Facebook post said, “She was way too young to leave. Courtney always put everyone else first – sometimes too much, but that was Courtney. If someone needed to eat, she fed them. If someone needed a ride somewhere, Courtney would take them. If you just needed a phone call or a visit, Courtney was there. She had a heart as big as the moon. The few times she would express her anger, that Boston Irish accent would come out and was quite funny to listen to. I will miss you. Fly High with all the angels up in Heaven. Say Hi to Jimmy Heat, Kyle, Rich, Sabrina and all the others gone too soon.”
In her Facebook post, Call’s cousin, Lindsey Umeh, wrote, “She was just a couple months older than me. She was one tough cookie who always spoke her mind and was unapologetic for it. I admired that. She was a great mom to her son and did whatever needed to be done. She lived a tough life but never made excuses. She loved family. I absolutely took for granted her age and time because I thought she had decades left. My heart absolutely breaks for her son and brother. Love ya Court! Hope you’re causing a ruckus already! I have no doubts that you are…”
BRADENTON BEACH – Liveaboard boater Jerald Joseph Oliver, 60, was found dead and floating in the water at the Bradenton Beach Marina on Wednesday.
Oliver’s body was discovered by marina employee Andy Tolar shortly before 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 2, according to the incident report prepared by Det. Sgt. Lenard Diaz of the Bradenton Beach Police Department.
“He (Tolar) was walking along the dock and dropped his keys into the water. While looking into the somewhat shallow water to find his keys, he noticed something floating in the water, to his left, just under the dock. Mr. Tolar realized that what he sees floating in the water is a person face down. Mr. Tolar grabs a pole off a nearby boat and tried to reach the person floating. The pole was not long enough, so Mr. Tolar yells for help and two gentlemen that work at the marina – Cory Stickler and Joshua Wilson – came to help. Cory and Joshua got on a boat and went over to the person floating in the water and were able to get him on to the bow of the boat and start CPR,” according to Diaz’s report.
When Diaz arrived on the scene, Wilson was administering CPR.
“As Joshua was doing CPR, I noticed that the gentleman he was working on was bleeding from his left temple and had abrasions on his lower legs. By this time, Paramedic Millard had arrived on scene and came down to the floating dock to take over. Paramedic Millard and I picked up the gentleman and moved him off the floating dock and to a flat concrete surface on land. Paramedic Millard did his assessment of the gentleman and determined that he could not be saved. Paramedic Millard called the time of death at 3:05 p.m. At that time, I began gathering witness information and detailed accounts of what had happened,” according to Diaz’s incident report.
The report notes Tolar, Stickler and Wilson recognized Oliver because he had lived on his boat at the marina for many years.
“I talked to another gentleman who had shown up after the incident happened – later identified as Richard Anthony Correa. Mr. Correa stated that he was just at the Drift In bar with Mr. Oliver about 45 minutes before. Mr. Correa and Mr. Oliver were friends and both had a few drinks at the bar. Mr. Correa also stated that Mr. Oliver came up to the bar to get a bottle of alcohol and go back to his boat, which he said was normal for Mr. Oliver to do,” according to Diaz’s report.
“Mr. Oliver was taken by the transport to the medical examiner’s office for further investigation. No further action was taken by me at that time,” the report concludes.
A well-liked man
Bradenton Beach Marina President Mike Bazzy said Oliver lived at the marina for the past four years.
“It’s unfortunate. They think it was a drowning and it looked like he had bumped his head. We tried to resuscitate him, and we couldn’t,” Bazzy said.
“He was a really good guy and there were a lot of people around town who knew him. Everyone around town called him Oliver. They all knew him as Oliver, but his first name was Jerald. He spent a lot of time on Bridge Street,” Bazzy said.
Drift In Manager Doreen Flynn spoke fondly of Oliver.
“He was a really nice man. If anybody called him Ollie, he used to say, ‘My name is not Ollie, please call me Oliver.’ He had a heart of gold and he would help anybody. I was very sad when I got the phone call,” Flynn said.
Drift In bartender Sharon Bell said, “Oliver was a character and a half. He did things his own way and never had an unkind word for anybody. He was part of our motley crew and he will be missed. 2020 strikes again.”
Flynn said a celebration of life will be held at the Drift In on Friday afternoon, Dec. 11.
Maggie McGinley-Field was born on December 17, 1959 and grew up in Barrington Hills, Illinois. She attended Countryside Grade School and Barrington Hills High School. She lived in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in the summers. She was her father, Bill’s, daughter to the nth degree and a natural athlete, learning tennis, golf and horseback riding at a very young age.
Maggie always wanted to follow in the footsteps of her beloved older brothers, Robert and Jimmy. Maggie met her friend Maureen, who would later become her children’s godmother, at the tender age of 8 years old.
Under Bill McGinley’s watchful eye, the two became inseparable horseback riding pals. They took the bus after school to ride their ponies, Wizard and Blue Duke. So many marvelous adventures ensued throughout Maggie’s youth, from seeing Secretariat at Arlington Park to snowmobiling with “Wild Bill” to boating on the Firecracker with Shannon & Sheila O’Brien and sailing and winning tennis championships at the Lake Geneva Country Club. Maggie was also infamous for the high school campouts she coordinated as soon as she was old enough to drive her blue Chevy Blazer, lovingly passed down to her by father.
Maggie loved her dogs Middy (Midnight) and Murky Mud, as well as Tilly, Annie, Angie, and most recently, her famous bichon and beloved companion, Timmy. Maggie was a friend like no other and the most loyal person to those who were lucky enough to call her friend. Maggie had an indomitable spirit and a great love of nature and animals, which she carried with her throughout her life.
Maggie takes Katie for a ride.
In work and in art, Maggie was a devoted newspaper woman and photographer. She attended the University of Miami and graduated with a degree in photojournalism and worked for the Miami Herald, the Miami News, the Associated Press and United Press International.
Maggie was a serious photographer during a time when shooting photos for newspapers was largely considered a man’s trade. She often told stories of the mischievous and various ways she got and held on to her sometimes dangerous jobs – such as challenging her male editors to rounds of golf and winning, carrying a gun or traveling with a bodyguard to make sure she could get the grittiest shots of 1980s Miami streets. She excelled at lending her artistic eye and passion for storytelling to scenes of gore and heartbreak – scenes that would go on to haunt her for decades. She loved to reveal the textures of Floridian lives, and she covered everything from car crashes to protests and the AIDS epidemic, as well as rock concerts by the Rolling Stones, The Who and Jimmy Buffett, just to name a few. She was especially proud of her work as a sports photographer, shooting professional golf, tennis, football and baseball. She often said the nicest sports figure she ever met, and the one who treated her with the most respect, was Don Shula, coach of the Miami Dolphins.
Maggie’s career then took her to Tampa, where she met her husband and sometimes editor, Mike Field, in the late 80s while working at the Tampa Tribune. The two became fast friends and spent six years together in Tampa, sharing their mutual love of storytelling, athletics (she kicked his backside in golf every time of course), and connecting ever more deeply with the Florida landscape.
The pair eloped in 1991 and were married on the snowy tops of a mountain in Vail, Colorado, a place that would always remain sacred to them.
They moved to Anna Maria Island in 1993 in order to raise their first child, Katie. Maggie always spoke wistfully of the Island at that time – its natural beauty, strong community, sense of safety, and the thrill of making a home there for her family. She took hundreds of photographs of Katie, and later Connor, on Tarpon Street, the dead-end road that then boasted large plots of undeveloped land, numerous families with small children, and several working fishermen. Maggie adored her Island home and Tarpon Street neighbors.
In 2000, Maggie and Mike opened The Anna Maria Island Sun newspaper, which allowed them to record 20 years’ worth of history and life experience on the Island and which positioned Maggie, the whirlwind extrovert, as a small-town celebrity, a status which she loved and fled in turns.
Maggie raised her two children devotedly, pouring her all into giving them a charmed, beachfront childhood, and encouraging them to live as she did – generously, actively, and ever in pursuit of a story or a laugh. She passed her hobbies and passions on to them, teaching them to ride horses, to love animals, to listen attentively, and to always take care of other people.
She taught them a deep respect for always telling the truth, sharing what they have, and recognizing the day-to-day “angels,” as she called them, who make life worth living. She instructed them from a young age about how to carry a camera like a “real photographer” – with the strap on the shoulder, not around the neck, and that there was nothing so important as to keep a pen and paper on-hand at all times.
In recent decades, Maggie was shaken by the loss of her parents in the early 2000s, the recent loss of Island friends and characters, and by illness. The last 8 months were particularly hard for her, as her mobility became limited and her pain increased. However, Maggie did not lose sight of the deep love she held for her family and for this Island. She was brave and resilient until the end, and she went out as a tender-hearted fighter always in search of a dry joke and a bright side to things.
Maggie is lovingly remembered by her husband of 28 years, Mike; her children, Katie and Connor; her older brothers, Robert and Jim; her niece, Frances; her sister-in-spirit, Maureen; and the Island and Barrington communities which she so cherished. She will be missed dearly by the people whose lives she touched.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Sandbar Restaurant, 100 Spring Ave., Anna Maria on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 3-5 p.m.
