Article by Peter Roos
Remembering Some Special People
The coronavirus pandemic has made it impossible to gather to recognize the passing of people special to us, whether the virus got them, or they passed of other causes. The last few months, and especially the last two weeks of 2020 saw the end for some significant beach personalities, some of whose significance should be recognized and their passing acknowledged. We do not believe any were virus related casualties.
Mary B. (Reitano) Falkenstein was widowed early in Baltimore with three children in 1961. After running, then selling the Keystone restaurant and bar in Baltimore in 1976, she joined her sisters in Pass-a-Grille, managing the Keystone Hotel. The following year, she bought the adjoining property and with her children Bruno, Rick and Mary Jo, developed the Hurricane Restaurant. Both her sons were elected city commissioners, Bruno repeatedly. Her daughter married a popular St. Pete Beach police officer. Mary passed in late September. She would have been 100 last Dec. 30.
John Spencer Lucas III was just 70 when he left us on Dec. 14th. His story was told on page 44 of January’s edition. Click here to read it now.
Carol (Curotto) Upham was 86 when she passed on Dec. 24th. The Curotto family built and operated the Bon Aire Beach Resort. In 1950, Carol married William Upham, who became the first mayor of St. Petersburg Beach. Carol was a lover of art and history and was very active in the community, especially with the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg.
Alfred Edward Ingram’s passing on December 25th was a gift, according to his daughter Sandy Lyman. He had led a wonderful, productive life and had been ready to meet his maker for a while. An avid fisherman, the retired postmaster from Maryland reluctantly gave up his snowbird lifestyle just a few years ago. When he was here, his wife Gerry one of the area’s busiest volunteers for years, had him building things out of wood for the museum or Woman’s Club. Al’s latest projects were the little Lending Libraries found around Pass-a-Grille.
Betsy Ann Pheil, 79, died peacefully December 29th in her Gulport home, after a long battle with cancer. Her family history in St. Petersburg started 140 years ago with the Pheil hotel and theater that were recently torn down at Fourth Street and Central. Betsy’s grandfather, Abram C. Pheil, mayor of St. Petersburg, was high bidder to become the first commercial airline passenger in history. Tony Jannus flew him in the Benoist airboat from the Vinoy Basin in St. Petersburg to Davis Island in Tampa for $400. Betsy and her brother Bill were the first caesarean-born twins at what is now Bayfront Hospital. Betsy was a board member of numerous institutions, notably the St. Petersburg Museum of History and the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum.
“100 Women Who Care” presents $10,000 to The Pineapple Projects
100 Women Who Care of Pinellas County presented The Pineapple Projects with a donation of $10,000 on December 28, 2020. The Pineapple Projects’ goal is to extend a hand to people in need by turning their houses into homes by providing essential furnishings. With gently used donations and thoughtful interior design, they transform empty homes into spaces to be proud of. Go to www.thepineappleprojects.org to learn more or to nominate a family.
100 Women Who Care of Pinellas County is a philanthropic group that provides an avenue for women to join together to bring financial support to local, charitable organizations that have a 501(c)(3) status. Members commit to attending four meetings per year (one per quarter) and pledge to donate $100 to an elected charity at each meeting.
The members have the opportunity to nominate any organization, three of the nominated organizations are then randomly selected to give a 5-minute presentation, a vote is taken, and then checks are written directly to the winning charity. Since February of 2013, the group has given $296,150 to local charities. The next meeting (with options of both Zoom and live) will be 7-8pm on
Tuesday, February 16, at Cove Cay Golf Club, located at 2612 Cove Cay Drive in Clearwater. There is a social time from 6-7pm, at the Cove Cay restaurant, where drinks and snacks may be purchased.
Contact Brenda George at 727-515-1868 for more information.
Pictured left to right: Christie Gott, The Pineapple Projects; Marilyn Miller, 100 Women member; Brandy Pullis, The Pineapple Projects; Ashley Cornetet, The Pineapple Projects founder; Pauline Deal, 100 Women member; Sarita Lastrapes, 100 Women member; Mary Pat McLain, 100 Women member; Mary Anne Putnam, 100 Women member; Julie Webster, 100 Women Who Care Co-leader; and Janie Greene, 100 Women member.