Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Obituaries.
Capt. Lemuel “Phil” Woods, a lifelong sportsman, accomplished angler, avid golfer and devoted family man passed away peacefully on March 13, 2025, in Boca Grande, FL. A Tampa native, Phil was born October 8, 1932 to Lemuel Phillips Woods, Sr. and Julia Banks Webb Woods. He spent his early years exploring the Davis Islands and […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Obituaries.
Frank H. “Skip” McKean, 95, formerly of Fox Chapel, PA, Boca Grande, FL and Castine, ME, passed away peacefully, with his family at his side on Saturday, March 8, 2025. Born in Pittsburgh, the hospital nurses called him Skippy after a popular comic strip, and it became his lifelong nickname. Skip grew up in Edgewood […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Profiles.
Roy H. Park Jr. In his new book, Boca Grande resident Roy H. Park Jr. has chronicled the ups and downs of being the son of a television and media baron. The book, “Sons in the Shadow” is subtitled “Surviving the Family Business as an SOB,” or Son of the Boss. Park Jr. comes to […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Community History.
BY JIM COCHRUN It was 1954, I was 14 and we were living in Naples. At the time, Naples had a population of 1,500 people. As a typical small town, everyone knew each other. My father had a close friend named Corky who operated the local dry-cleaning business. One Saturday Corky invited both Dad and […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History, Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: The Boca Grande Historical Society History Bytes for this season is in the “Books!” I can’t say enough about what a wonderful group of speakers shared a “Byte”! A special THANK YOU to all who attend and continue to support our “History Byte” programs. We began our season with a great event […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial.
On Saturday, this paper had a visit from a family who had been photographed and included in our publication the previous week. They wanted to get some extra copies of the paper. They came up to the office to see us, as so many of you do. The daughter wanted to tell us – as […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Breaking News, News.
Gasparilla Island residents, as well as two attorneys, came out to the Tuesday morning Lee County Board of County Commissioners meeting to speak to a proposed parking discussion that was coming before the board. It was not on the agenda. Michael Whitt, an attorney for Hahn Loeser, came on behalf of Lighthouse United Methodist and […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, News.
Del-Bourree Bach has exhibited his works at Hughes Gallery for the past twenty-five years. Owner Barbara Hughes sent the Beacon some questions and answers about his work. Here, some paintings by Bach. Above, Red Right Returning. Photos submitted. Q: Can you tell us a little about your process? A: Well, I try to paint what’s […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Entertainment, News.
A satire on Florida homeowner association takes readers on a humorous journey into the unpredictable world of homeowners’ associations through the eyes of a property manager. “The HOA Chronicles: A Cautionary Tale of Mismanagement, Mishaps, and Mayhem” by Trudy Jean Evans is out as of Jan. 30. Evans grew up in St. Louis but has […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Real Estate, Society.
‘80s vintage, plus a few alligator bags Ready for the return of the Bermuda bag? The Stylish Sloane, Suzy Smith, is Texas collector and fashion stylist and seller who has made a specialty of vintage bags, and was visiting here on island. She was here this week for a trunk show at The Gasparilla Inn. […]