Incorporation Honorees

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The information below has been submitted by family members and/or individuals.

Lucile Stahl McClay

• Moved to Sanibel in 1960
• Martha McClay Howard, stepdaughter (Sanibel resident)

Myron W. (Mike) Klein

• Has been a Sanibel resident from July 1975 to 1999
• Bought 1st home on Sanibel in 1968
• Mayor of Sanibel – 1987

Jack & Starr Thomas

• Residents since 1972
• Actively involved in the Incorporation
• Jack ran for office in the first election
• Jack has been actively involved in SCCF since 1972
• Starr worked along with Mariel Goss to raise funds for the bike path
• Starr and Mariel Goss sponsored the first Island Phone Book

Everett & Marjorie Kilmer

• Lived on Sanibel when city was incorporated and very active in the community
• Phyllis Gresham, Chair of Vegetation Committee, daughter
• Liz Gresham, granddaughter

Michael S. Billheimer

• Resident 1958 to present

I.T. “Tom” Billheimer

• Resident 1953 to 1977 (deceased)

Barbara S. Billheimer

• 1953 to present

M. Kimball Billheimer

• 1956 to present

Elizabeth Sears

• 1957 to 1990 (deceased)

Trudie Prevatt

• Resident when the City was incorporated

Banks Prevatt

• Resident when the City was incorporated

E.L. & Agnes McClintock, Jr.

• Residents when the City was incorporated
• Maureen McClintock, Sanibel resident, daughter
• Francene, daughter

Mr. & Mrs. Vincent L. Back

• Residents of the City since1969.
• Richard Back, son

Dan & Mary Grassi

• Residents when the City was incorporated
• Bought 1st Sanibel property in 1953 – still in family ownership
• Mr. Grassi (deceased)
• Mary Grassi, daughter
• Amy Nowacki, granddaughter

Allen Ten Broek

• Family were residents when the City was incorporated
• Chairman of the ad hoc committee that was formed to study pros & cons of incorporation and to later engage consultants to develop the incorporation plan – Porter Goss & Vernon MacKenzie were members of that committee
• The first City hall was established at Periwinkle Place which his company, The Mariner Group, developed and operated
• Helped newly appointed Police Chief John Butler erect the communications tower behind the City Hall offices.

Mark Twombly

• Resident when the City was incorporated
• First hired reporter for the Island Reporter
• Voted in the November 4th election

John & Patricia Slater

• Residents of the City since April 1970

Raymond & Meri Rhodes

• Residents of the City since the 1950’s
• Andrea Miller, daughter
• Ray Rhodes, son

Bob & Patty Krepin

• Residents of the City since May 1973
• Their 1st house built was where Sanibel Sea School is located now
• Vyd Krepin son
• Katie Riemenschneider, daughter
• Michael, son

John K. & Bella Kontinos

• Arrived 1956 B.C. --Before Causeway
• Owned, operated and developed the following:
  • Coconut Grove Restaurant and Lounge 1957 – 1995
  • Bailey’s Shopping Center – mid 1960’s
  • Sunset South Condominiums – early 1970’s
  • Dunes Golf & Country Club – early 1970’s
  • John was a Chairman of the Planning Commission
• On the Board & formed the following:
  • Island Water Association – was first President of IWA
  • Bank of the Islands
  • Lee County Mosquito Control – 25 years
• Ilena K. Accardi, daughter

Robert & Pauline Tuttle

• Residents of the City since 1973
• Owned Tuttle Seahorse Sea Shop on East End of Island
• Donated to 1st section of bicycle path
• Sold Sand Dollar Necklace Kits and donated $1 from each kit to bicycle path
• Daughter, Wendy

Jonathan Tongyai

• Resident of Sanibel beginning in 1972
• Attended City Council meetings when Porter Goss was Mayor as an assignment from my school at the time Sanibel Resource Center
• Grandparents came here in 1968 and worked for Pricilla Murphy Real Estate
• Mother Lynn Ridlehoover (Formally Lynn Miller - actually worked at the City) came in 1973
• She currently resides on Sanibel with Ed Ridlehoover
• My stepfather Abe Miller (deceased) worked for the Sheriff’s department and worked closely with the new officers of the Sanibel PD back during its inception. Together they investigated numerous events that occurred on the island
• In 1976 was selected as Police Chief for student government day when Lillian Carter came to visit
• Was on the first little league team the ‘Huxter Yankees’

Mary Anne Aleck

• Opened Sanibel Beauty Salon in 1951
• Opened Coconut Grove Restaurant in 1957
• Mary Anne Banta, daughter
• Alice Aleck Henderson and Deena Aleck March, children

Dr. Harry & Patricia Kair

• Sanibel residents since December 1974
• Dr. Kair (deceased) was a Chiropractor from 1974 until 1991
• Dr. Kair belonged to the Kiwanis Club
• Pat Kair (Crysler) owned and operated Pat’s Hair Kair
• Pat was on the Live Shell Committee and belonged to the PTA
• Pat started the Golden Eagles Kids Club
• Lee Kair, son was a Police Explorer as well as a Police Aide
• Jai Earle, daughter

Jim & Betty Anholt

• Residents of the City since 1969
• Owned and operated the Sanibel Standard Station
• Started the Sanibel Trolley, franchised through the City
• Jim works at Sanibel Fire and Rescue – has been a volunteer fire fighter for 52 years
• Betty works at the Sanibel Public Library & has written 4 books relating to Sanibel history, including Sanibel’s Story
• Family has been active in PTA, Caretta, Chamber and City Committees over the years
• Cameron, works at Royal Shell, son
• Morganna (Beth), City of Sanibel PD employee, daughter

Jody Brown

• Resident of the City since 1979
• Active with the Historical Museum for 20 years
• Arranged a mock presentation of the 1st meeting for the 25th Anniversary Celebration

Richard ‘Dee’ & Hazel Amon

• Residents of the City since 1962
• Voted in the first election
• Donna Durst, daughter

Anthony & Mary Rizzo

• Residents of the City since April 1974
• Mary (deceased)
• Beth Rizzo-Gavin, daughter
• Tom Rizzo, son
• Kathleen Rizzo-Wolter, daughter
• Debbie Rizzo, daughter

Aileen Roberts Lotz

• “Mother of Sanibel”
• Consultant who authored the first “City Charter”
• Published in 1999 with Copyright “The City of Sanibel”
• Aileen (deceased) March 7, 2009

Porter & Mariel Goss

• Porter was Sanibel’s first Mayor
• Sanibel City Councilman
• Mariel was instrumental in starting up the bike paths

Kinzie Brothers Steamship Lines

• Owner/Operator of Ferry

Fred Valtin

• Sanibel City Mayor
• Sanibel City Councilman

John P. Butler

• John was appointed first Sanibel Chief of Police in 1975

Zelda “Zee” Butler

• Sanibel City Mayor
• Sanibel City Council Member
• Secretary of the Home Rule Study Group, Inc.
• Chair of Sanibel Tomorrow

Fred & Clarice Fox

• Owners of Schoolhouse Art Gallery

Duane & Charlotte White

• Duane was a Sanibel City Mayor

Vernon MacKenzie

• One of the first Sanibel City Councilmen
• MacKenzie Hall was dedicated to and named after Mr. MacKenzie

Don & Grace Whitehead

• Don (deceased) was Editor of Island Reporter

Rhea Nicholls

• Retired Delta Airlines Pilot
• Member of Sanibel Tomorrow Committee

Ralph Zeiss, Jr.

• Island Cinema Owner

Mark McQuade

• Resident of the Island since the 1950’s
• Deborah Gleason, sister

Carl & Mozella Jordan

• Carl was born on the island in 1932
• Mozella moved to the island in 1951

Jimmy & Marguerite Jordan

• Jimmy was born on the island
• Son of Carl & Mozella Jordan

James “Doc” & Josephine Pickens

• Moved to Sanibel in 1952
• Doc Pickens was a member of the volunteer fire department
• Doc and Jo led square dancing at the Sanibel Community Association
• Doc & Jo owned 2 duplexes on Sea Grape Lane to rent to visitors
• Jo helped create a library – first in an office building near Sanibel Community Church, then in a building down by Bailey’s where Doc had a real estate office

James “Ben” & Suzanne Pickens

• James moved to Sanibel in 1952 with parents James & Josephine Pickens
• James moved back to Sanibel in 1964 with his own family
• Sold real estate at Michigan Homes
• Started Photo Sanibel – first at Periwinkle Place and then off of Periwinkle Way
• Photo Sanibel was in business for 25 years
• Auxiliary Police Officer for City of Sanibel for 22 years
• Robin Pickens, daughter
• Karen Pickens, daughter

Edward & Hazel Schuller

• Property owners since 1971
• Home owners and summer residents with sons Carl and Lars since 1972

Andy & Mary Ann Seipos

• Instrumental with the formation of the first Sanibel Plan Amendment adopted by City Council in 1979

Charles LeBuff, Jr.

• Resident of Sanibel since 1958

Isaiah Gavin

• Moved to Sanibel in 1918
• Known and trusted by everyone on the Island
• Grandfather of Oscar & Eugene Gavin

Eleanor Dormer

• Moved to Sanibel in 1924
• Was on the Historic Committee while the comprehensive plan was being written
• Petitioned the Federal Government for desegregation
• Author of the book The Sea Shell Islands

Ty Symroski

• My Mother, Gay Symroski, and Elinor Dormer were sisters
• After incorporation the City issued tax anticipation bonds to raise money for the new City and we bought some
• I started working on the new ecological zones map and the Planning Department in 1976

Milena Eskew

• Organizes Noah’s Ark Fashion Show every year

John & Marty Vroman

• Residents of the Island since 1974
• Bought Lighthouse Restaurant in 1974
• Owners of Little Shell Island
• Owners of Café Orleans
• Coby Amadio, daughter

Russell & Coby Amadio

• Residents of the Island since 1974
• Nikki, daughter
• Tony, son

Bruce Caspar

• Came to Sanibel in 1972
• Wet Lands Mitigation Restoration
• Beach Renourishment
• Seagull Estates, Mitigation Restoration
• Longtime Island Resident
• Owns Caspar Landscaping

Walter & Elaine Walker

• Walter moved to the Island in 1939
• Built the Paul Rudolph House on West Gulf Drive in 1952
• Walter and Elaine married in 1972
• Their grandchildren had the privilege of growing up on the island

JoAnne Whitaker

• Bought home in 1974 after spending Christmas on the Island starting in 1969
• Hubert Whitaker, son, full time islander since 1988

Tom & Sandy Ehler

• Involved in the discussions and debates, which began around 1972
• Requested the City Council not to extend West Gulf Drive further than they were planning
• Tom's father, Martin, doubted the wisdom of the incorporation feeling it would lead to a top heavy bureaucracy as well as a huge increase in taxes

Adelaide Edgar Homes

• Adelaide moved to Sanibel in 1958
• Member of Sanibel Tomorrow
• Deceased 2009

Joseph & Christina Mathewson

• Residents of Sanibel and actively supportive of the incorporation of the City and of Porter Goss
• They were very proud of the position Sanibel's leadership took vs. Lee County
• They would be delighted to know that Sanibel is now more than 2/3 preserved undeveloped land
• Christina Mathewson Salerno, daughter

Ray & Roni Martorelli

• Resident of Island since 1974
• Sanibel Auxiliary POlice Officer 1976 to 1979
• January 1979 Mayor C. Duane White sent the following letter to Mr. Martorelli:
  "It is with pride that I carry out the Council's expressed wish in tendering to you the deep appreciation and gratitude we all have for the services you so generously contribute to our city."
  "One of the things that makes Sanibel unique is the people who are so dedicated and so ready to answer the call for help even when long hours and hard work are involved."
  "Our Police Department is, beyond doubt, one of the best in the country and you have helped to make it so. We hope that this letter of thanks and commendation will in some small measure help you to know that the important work you do and the contribution you make is greatly appreciated.”
  "I am confident that I speak not only for the Council but for all the citizens of Sanibel."
  Sincerely, C. Duane White, Mayor, City of Sanibel

Mary Gault

• Resident of the City since 1953
• The Gault family built and operated the Seahorse Shop until 1975
• Mary was active in the Sanibel Historical Society until 2004
• Mary Jo Gault, daughter

C.P. (Pat) & Mary M. Siegenthaler

• Residents of the Island since 1964
• Both were on the Library Board when it was located in a storefront on Periwinkle
• Pat was elected treasurer of the Library Board to raise the money for the building fund
• Pat served on a 3-member committee to inspect food service sites and report on any other health hazards
• Pat was instrumental in introducing the leash law for dogs on the beach, a personal issue as he walked with a cane, a result of polio in 1946
• Mary was a volunteer at Noah's Ark, working with her friend Phoebe Haynie
• Coming from Mansfield, OH they were involved with bringing Chief John Butler to the new Sanibel Police Department
• Pat (deceased 1992) Mary (deceased 2006)
• Sally Siegenthaler Lichtenstein, daughter, island resident

Charles A. (Jr.) (Chuck" & Barbara Nave

• Chuck attended the one room school house on the Island
• Helped his father, Allen Nave" and grandfather "Martin Hiers" to build the first ball field on the elementary school grounds
• Chuck was a volunteer fire and rescue person until the early 1970's
• Worked in his family's business "Nave Plumbing"
• Chuck and Barbara attend Sanibel Community Church where Barbara is an Associate Pastor
• Chuck is the "up high" part of a team of volunteers who light the Sanibel Community Church grounds for the Christmas holidays
• Raised two sons Chad and Chet on the Island
• They have four grandchildren who have lived on the island as well

Tim Irving

• Resident of Sanibel since January 1973
• Refuge volunteer
• Among first C.R.O.W. volunteers
• Coached and organized various youth sports activities
• Raised family on Sanibel.
• Mary, wife
• Vinnie, son
• Rita Ann, daughter

Ralph & Jean Woodring

• Ralph was born and raised on Sanibel
• Jean worked for the City after incorporation and retired in 1999
• Owners of The Bait Box

Anina Hills Glaize

• Moved to Sanibel in 1972 after owning property since 1964
• Worked with Porter Goss and others on incorporation
• Served as one of the original members of Planning Commission

Frankette Rinaldi

• Moved to Sanibel in 1990
• Owner of Rinaldi Fashion Shoes with artist husband Tony

Mr. & Mrs. Edward Jann

• Residents of Sanibel from 1971 to 1988 (deceased)
• Christine Lemmon, Sanibel resident, granddaughter

Strange/Greenplate

• Sanibel Seashell Inn was opened in 1942 on Fitzhugh Street by Ken Havorod. His wife Mary Bridell ran the shop until 1987 when she sold to our family

Bob & Arly Buntrock

• Came to Sanibel as part of the development team for Loggerhead Cay
• Arly was a partner in Three Crafty Ladies
• Children Kip, Robin, and David grew up on the Islands
• Owned and operated the first Vacation Rental Company on the Island
• Ran against Porter Goss in 1980 under the slogan "Our CLUP Runneth Over Us"
• Created Sanibel 8-Ball Pool League in 2007

Reed & Barbara Toomey

• Island Resident since 1969
• Reed was Director & V.P. of the Public Library
• Barbara was Technical Assistant at the Public Library
• SCCF Life Members
• Involved with C.R.O.W.
• Reed was Co-Founder of Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge
• Jim, Kitt, Mike, sons

Maria Espinosa

• Island Resident since summer of 1970
• Son Roland attended Sanibel Elementary when it was a 3 room school house
• Rigo, Irene and Roland, sons and daughters lived on Sanibel until attending college
• Maria still enjoying Sanibel lifestyle

Sanibel Businesses At Time Of Incorporation

• Accent Shoppe
• Al Wolf Electronic Service
• Artisan Shop
• Associated Property Services, Inc.
• B Hive Gourmet Foods
• Bailey’s General Store
• The Bait Box
• Beachview Resort Cottages
• Castaway’s Restaurant
• The Clove Hitch
• Coconut Grove Restaurant
• Dairy Queen
• De Scottish Pub
• Dotti of Sanibel, Island Boutique
• Duggers of Sanibel
• Electric Sanibel, Inc.
• Elsie Malone Specimen Shells
• Fridays’ Creative Jewelry
• Fur, Feathers & Scales, Inc.
• The Gallery
• Gasparilla Restaurant
• Hurricane House on the Beach
• Huxter’s Market & Delicatessen
• Island Aire, Inc.
• Island Beach Club
• Island Boat Rental
• Island Cinema
• Island Home Protection Service
• Island Inn
• Island Interiors
• Island Travel
• The Jade Butterfly
• The Last Straw
• Laughrey & Holtz Island Real Estate, Inc.
• Lees’ House of Treasures
• The Letizias
• Lighthouse Restaurant
• Mariner Properties, Inc.
• Marylou’s House of Fashions
• McCauls Gift Shop
• Nave Plumbing
• The Nutmeg House
• The Open Gate
• Periwinkle Place
• Periwinkle Way Trailer Park
• Photo Sanibel
• Pirate Playhouse
• Priscilla Murphy Realty, Inc.
• The Red Pelican
• San Carlos Realty
• Sanibel Beauty Salon
• Sanibel Botanic Garden
• Sanibel Realty
• Sanibel Siesta
• Sanibel Standard Station
• Sanibel Tune Up
• Schoolhouse Gallery
• Scotty’s Pub
• Sea Horse Shop
• Seven Seas Shop
• Shannon’s Real Estate
• The Shell Net
• Smitty’s Exxon Service
• Song Of The Sea
• Surf ‘N Sand Cottages
• The Surfrider
• Tarpon Bay Marina
• Thetan Crafts
• Three Star
• The West Wind Inn
• Wooster TV and Appliances

Sanibel Churches At Time Of Incorporation

• First Baptist Church
• First Church of Christ Scientist
• Sanibel Community Church
• St. Isabel Catholic Church
• St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church

Sanibel Non-Profit Organizations At Time Of Incorporation

• C.E.C.I. (The Children's Education Center of the Islands) "Celebrating 35 years of dedication to education"
• C.O.T.I. (The Committee of the Island)
• C.R.O.W. (Care & Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc.)
• S.C.A. (The Sanibel Community Association, Inc.)
• S.C.C.F. (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation)
• F.I.S.H. (Friends In Service Here)

 

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