A part of Boca Grande died Wednesday night

Barbara Ann (Whidden) Chatham

Barbara Ann (Whidden) Chatham was the daughter of Sam and Leslie Whidden, born in 1935. Her surviving children include a son, Capt. Dave Chatham (Jill) of Boca Grande and a daughter, Jane Allen. Her sister, Isabelle, also survives her.

She resided with Jill and Dave and her grandbabies who loved their “Mammy,” Charlotte and David, Jr.

Together with her sister and other family members, Barbara helped to run Whidden’s Marina since she was a child.

She did leave the island when she attended beauty school in Tampa, then moved to Indian Rocks Beach.

She also lived in California for a time, where she attended beauty school and met and married Grady “Pete” Chatham. The couple returned to Boca Grande in 1967.

Barbara also helped to found the Gasparilla Island Maritime Museum, which is adjacent to the marina.

On the morning of Thursday, March 22 the familys’ amaryillis came into full bloom.View More images >>

Memorial services will be held at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church on Monday, March 26 at 4 p.m.

See next week’s Boca Beacon for a complete obituary.