By Sallie James

BOCA RATON — Boca Raton philanthropist and shoe industry legend Robert “Bobby” Campbell, who pioneered the design for kids’ shoes embedded with little lights, died on Feb. 17 after a lengthy illness. The founder, chairman and CEO of BBC International was 82.
Raised in Pittsburgh by a single mother, Mr. Campbell grew up poor but determined to succeed. At age 15, when his family moved to Detroit, he took a job at a Kinney Shoes store, launching what would become an amazing career in the footwear industry.
He started work as a stock boy and then sold shoes. After graduating from high school, he went to work full-time for the company, working his way up to manager for all Kinney Shoes stores. Then, after nine years of “not enjoying the corporate structure,” Mr. Campbell left in 1975 to start his own company, BBC International, building the business into a worldwide leader in the children’s shoe market.
The company took off in 1991 when he partnered with LA Gear and produced a wildly popular line of lighted footwear called LA Lights. The shoes remain beloved today. According to Footwear News, the LA Lights franchise sold 10 million pairs in the first year alone.
In 1998, Mr. Campbell moved his company to Boca Raton, then turned his sights on helping others. Among his legacies: a $5 million donation to Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence to benefit student athletes and a $1.2 million donation to Lynn University to help build a new stadium for the school’s Fighting Knights soccer teams. The facility was named Bobby Campbell Stadium in his honor.
In January, the Rotary Club of Boca Raton presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his philanthropic acts.
In November 2018, the Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton presented him with the George Long Award for community service at the Boca Raton Mayor’s Ball, said Jon Kaye, one of the club’s founding members.
Mr. Campbell received an honorary degree from FAU in May 2017, and in 2013, he was honored by the Boca Raton Rotary Club with one of five Outstanding People and Leader Awards for his philanthropic actions in the community.
Mr. Campbell was “very involved in the community since he came here more than 20 years ago. He has contributed through generosity and participation,” Kaye said. “He just was in it to win it with the community. This is a man who always had a smile on his face. He never said ‘no’ as far as I know.”
Mr. Campbell simply made Boca better, Kaye said. “We want to honor people who put Boca in a positive light and to show off what a great place it is. He contributed to making it a great place. He was an exceptional individual.”
Mr. Campbell told The Coastal Star in 2013 he felt fortunate to have achieved such success and wanted to help others who needed assistance.
“I kept going up, and I was a very lucky guy to go up the ladder, and then I realized that it’s better to give back a little bit than to just receive,” Mr. Campbell said.
Kaye remembered Mr. Campbell as an upbeat, happy guy with a love for pretty women.
“He was a real flirtatious guy. He always loved to be around pretty women,” Kaye chuckled. “He was just a real gentleman.”
His executive assistant Michele Scott described him as a fun-loving person who enjoyed sports and adored his family.
“My sports buddy!!! Monday mornings always started with a recap of the weekend sports highlights,” Scott wrote in a tribute. “We went to many local dinner and cocktail parties supporting the community. We talked about his family, my family, shoes, philanthropy and more. Such a fun guy! Fair, honest and straight to the point. I’m gonna miss that. What an amazing leader he was.”
Mr. Campbell is survived by his wife, Barbara Zangrilli, children Robert Campbell Jr., Dana Campbell and Seth Campbell, and five grandchildren. Services were held in New York City on Feb. 21.

BOCA RATON — With his wife, children and other family by his side, Gary Gabso of Boca Raton died on Feb. 1. He was 70.
Mr. Gabso was born on July 7, 1949, in Burlington, Vermont. After graduating from the University of Vermont, he lived in New York, Austin and Colorado Springs before settling in Boca Raton in 1983.
Mr. Gabso was passionate about his family, especially his five grandchildren — Jack, Kate, Maddie, Claire and Cameran. He was an avid sports fan, rooting heavily for the Boston Red Sox and the Florida Gators.
He loved to travel — most recently spending time with family in the Bahamas over the holidays — and covered nearly the entire globe over the years. He loved to reconnect with friends whom he had met across the country while working for IBM or from childhood and college in Vermont.
He was blessed with not one, but two kidney transplants, allowing him to live life to the fullest and to continue to enjoy the company of his friends and family. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Heather, daughter Kristy Korngold (Jon), son Andy Gabso (Sarah), mother Claire Gabso, brother Paul Gabso (Pat), and brother Mark Gabso (Anita). He was preceded in death by his father, John Gabso. The family wishes to acknowledge the excellent care that he recently received at the Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital and over the years from his medical specialists in Boca Raton, at Shands Hospital in Gainesville and at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
His wife, children and other family miss him dearly but will always remember him in their hearts. A gathering of family and friends was held Feb. 8 at Glick Family Funeral Home in Boca Raton. Another will be held in Vermont this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mr. Gabso’s name may be sent to the National Kidney Foundation.
— Obituary submitted by the family

By Rich Pollack

DELRAY BEACH — Ernie Simon, the grandson of Delray Beach pioneers, loved the city he grew up in so much that he crafted two plays about it and wrote annual Christmas productions that brought the community together.
Most of all, however, he loved being around people.
“I don’t think Ernie ever met anybody he didn’t think was his best friend,” said his brother Roy Simon.
An attorney who served as Delray Beach’s municipal judge decades ago and a playwright who brought his love of the city to the stage through scripts he crafted, Mr. Simon died Jan. 28. He was 94.
A member of Delray Beach’s Simon family — which helped settle the town in 1912 with the arrival of his grandfather — Mr. Simon continued to practice law well into his 90s and remained active in the community until shortly before his death.
“Ernie was caring, loving and always very sincere,” said his longtime law partner, David Schmidt. “With very rare exceptions, he never had a bad word to say about anybody. The guy didn’t have a mean bone in his body.”
Born in Delray Beach, Mr. Simon attended Delray Beach Elementary School and Delray Beach High School, which are now part of Old School Square. Mr. Simon played three sports in high school and was a quarterback and end on the Seahawks football team.
After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Mr. Simon graduated from Bucknell University and later received a law degree from the University of Miami. His career led him to West Palm Beach, but he returned to Delray in 1967 and opened his law practice. He would serve as a Delray municipal judge for 10 years.
Mr. Simon held leadership roles in many civic organizations over the decades, including the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Drug Abuse Foundation of Palm Beach County.
He was on the board of the Rotary Club of Delray Beach — serving as president several times — and on the boards of the Mae Volen Senior Center and Palm Beach State College. He also served with the vestry at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
But Mr. Simon made what may have been his most impactful contributions to community at the Delray Beach Playhouse. He served as president of that board seven times and acted in 65 productions, including annual Christmas plays that he wrote.
He also wrote two plays — Delray How I Love You and From Linton with Love — that he produced.
“I always thought he wanted to be a playwright instead of a lawyer,” Schmidt said.
People familiar with Mr. Simon’s work at the playhouse say he always stood out on the stage.
“He was Delray’s best actor,” said Tony Allerton, who served on the playhouse board with Mr. Simon as well as on the boards of the Drug Abuse Foundation and of the local Rotary club. “He had a marvelous sense of humor, perfect timing and was excellent in every production he appeared in at the Delray Playhouse.”
Roy Simon said his brother might have made the theater a career had family priorities not prevailed. “Under different conditions, he could have ended up in Hollywood.”
Mr. Simon is survived by his three brothers, Roy, Charles and Sandy, his close friend and cousin Zicky Simon, as well as nine nephews, three nieces and 15 grandnephews. His wife of 54 years, Norma, died in 2014.
Funeral services were held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church last month, and donations may be made in Mr. Simon’s memory to two of his favorite charities: the Delray Beach Playhouse Ernest G. Simon Scholarship Award Fund, and the Drug Abuse Foundation of Palm Beach County.

BRINY BREEZES — Julia “Judy” Okum Snyder of Briny Breezes died Feb. 4, at the Montage in Yardville, New Jersey. She was 92.
She was born on March 1, 1927, in Yardley, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Catherine and Morris Okum. As Julia Okum, she graduated from Cathedral High School in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1945 and went to work at Bell Telephone, where she met her future husband, Russell J. Snyder. They worked together to establish Valentine’s Inc., a successful office machine and furniture company.
While raising her five children, Mrs. Snyder pursued her passions for gardening, bird watching, reading, traveling and physical fitness. She completed President Kennedy’s Fitness Challenge in the 1960s by swimming 72 miles in one summer and earned an associate’s degree in horticulture from Mercer County Community College.
Eventually the couple purchased a winter home in Deerfield Beach and a summer place in Ocean Pines, Maryland. They enjoyed many happy years in both communities before settling permanently in Briny Breezes and in The Woodlands in Ocean Pines, Maryland.
On Feb. 26, the couple would have celebrated 71 years of marriage.
Mrs. Snyder is survived by her husband, Russell, and their children: Julia (Robert) Kohut, Berlin, Maryland; Suzanne (Joseph T.) Snyder-Carroll, Briny Breezes; Cathy Worek, Fallsington, Pennsylvania; Russell (Stacy) Snyder Jr., Feasterville, Pennsylvania; Mark (Barbara Bradway) Snyder, Washington’s Crossing, Pennsylvania; sister-in-law Rita O’Brien, San Antonio; seven grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
A Mass and memorial service will be held in New Jersey and a celebration of life gathering will be held in Briny Breezes at the convenience of the family. Donations may be made to Catholic Charities and Briny Breezes Charities.
Obituary submitted by the family.

By Brian Biggane

DELRAY BEACH — Jeanne Evert Dubin of coastal Delray Beach, who enjoyed a stellar tennis career early in life and later became a driving force in the growth of the sport in Delray, died of ovarian cancer Feb. 20. She was 62.
The younger sister of 18-time major singles champion Chris Evert, Dubin was predeceased by husband Brahm Dubin in 2006.
“Jeanne was selfless, caring and kind,” Chris Evert said. “As a sister, I admired her stellar character and her unwavering devotion to her loved ones. She fought a brave battle and now heaven is lucky to have her.”
Born Oct. 5, 1957, in Fort Lauderdale as one of five children to Jimmy and Collette Evert, Jeanne grew up hitting balls at Holiday Park, where Jimmy was head instructor. She attended St. Anthony’s grade school and St. Thomas Aquinas High School.
Jeanne enjoyed great success on the court in her early years, winning both singles and doubles at both the U.S. National 12 and 14 events, and was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. in junior singles in 1972. She defeated veterans Rosie Casals and Margaret Court, then ranked No. 1 in the world, that same year.
She turned pro in 1973 and became the youngest player ever to represent the U.S. in the Wightman Cup matches. In 1978 she achieved her highest ranking, at No. 28 in the world.
“I met her when she was still playing,” said Peggy Gossett-Seidman, a former tennis reporter for The Palm Beach Post. “She was so perky and upbeat, but also enjoyed the actual process: the travel, the people. She knew how to have fun aside from competing. She just enjoyed life.”
That same year she met Dubin while playing in a Rogers Cup event in Montreal.
“I want to say it was almost love at first sight,” said Merilynn Rubsamen, a close friend and neighbor for the past 22 years. “He sent her red roses during the tournament and I don’t think she ever looked back.”
The two were married in 1979 and lived in Deer Creek in Deerfield Beach for a time, working for sports promoter George Liddy. In 1987, the same year they moved to Delray Beach, Brahm founded Dubin and Associates, which soon became JCD Sports, an acronym for Jeanne Collette Dubin.
A short time later, they adopted two children, Eric and Catie.
“She was so thrilled about it,” Gossett-Seidman said. “When she got Eric it was like her life was complete: She had Brahm and the baby.”
Another close friend, Barbara LaPorte, recalled that Jeanne had only three days’ notice prior to Catie’s arrival.
“She accepted it very calmly, and all of a sudden a new baby was in her arms. She was always very calm, never panicked, like a rock. When her husband got sick, she never complained or wavered in her care for him. She was an amazing person, but also a lot of fun,” LaPorte said.
In 1994 JCD Sports Group was awarded the contract to manage the Delray Beach Tennis Center. While Brahm got busy bringing major events such as the Davis Cup and Fed Cup to the facility — a plaque outside the pro shop still recognizes his contributions — Jeanne gave lessons and clinics and helped oversee leagues.
“She was very influential with many of the young players,” said Sharon Painter, CEO of JCD Sports Group. “She had a very smooth stroke so she was more of an old-school player. She had a calm demeanor,” which “made her popular.”
She became more involved in running the tennis center after her husband’s death.
“That was her area of expertise,” Painter said. “She wanted to do the job for the legacy of Brahm.”
Jeanne picked up the nickname “The General” along the way for her willingness to take charge of situations.
“She was definitely the one to take charge and we all knew it,” Rubsamen said. “It was done in a (nice) way, but she did often live up to that name. It was never mean; it was just, ‘No, this is the way it’s going to be.’”
Rubsamen, who had children about the same age as Eric and Catie, recalled many happy days full of children playing on the cul-de-sac where both families lived.
“She was very loving, very protective,” she said. “I wouldn’t call her strict but she wasn’t over-protective. She was a wonderful mother.”
“She was just a great person,” Gossett-Seidman added. “Never had a bad word for anyone; she always accented the positive. Losing Brahm was hard, but her years with the tennis center and raising the kids with Brahm were excellent. She was good with everyone, just a people person.”
In late 2017, around the time of her 60th birthday, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
“She would never complain,” LaPorte said. “She fought it like it was a tennis match. There were ups and downs, but she always came back and fought harder. That was one reason she was able to live so well and so long after the diagnosis.
“Anyone she met, she was like a magnet. People were drawn to her. It’s a huge loss. So many people now are numb, in shock, even though we knew she was struggling.”
“It’s just a huge loss to her family, her friends and the whole community,” Rubsamen said. “She was really a part of it.”
Mrs. Dubin was predeceased by her father in 2015. She is survived by her partner, Tower Krauss; her mother, Colette; her son, Eric (Janice Kirk) of Delray Beach, and daughter, Catie Dubin (Matthew Aspenwall), and four grandchildren, Hailey, Savannah, Mason and Olivia Aspenwall, of Delray Beach; two sisters, Chris Evert of Boca Raton and Clare Evert-Shane (Steven) of Aspen, Colorado; two brothers, Drew (Penny) of Delray Beach and John (Mary) of Boca Raton; nieces Anna, Lauren, Siena, Tatum and Remi, and nephews Alex, Nicky and Colton.

By Sallie James

DELRAY BEACH — Longtime Delray Beach resident Elizabeth Cowles Armour, a devoted philanthropist whose selfless goodwill touched the lives of thousands, died on Feb. 7 at home, three days shy of her 97th birthday.
She’d spent decades collecting clothing and medical supplies for migrants, raising money for children with disabilities and working in a local soup kitchen to help people less fortunate.
Her daughter Susan Ridgley recalled helping her mother with food and toy drives as far back as she could remember.
“Whenever she would need extra hands to do something, it was either us or whatever grandchild happened to be around,” Ridgley said. “We collected it and packed it up.”
Mrs. Armour actively volunteered until age 94 — even though her eyesight had begun to fail — collecting, sorting and selling plastic caps for Caps of Love to raise money to buy wheelchairs for children.
“When that organization disbanded, it was the beginning of her decline. Then she didn’t have anything to do,” Ridgley said. “She always had a volunteer job. It kept her going. She always wanted to be doing something.”
Mrs. Armour had served as a trustee at Gulf Stream School, where her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren had attended. According to the Gulf Stream School timeline, she donated Armour House to the school in 2000. She also worked for many years in the school’s library.
Gulf Stream School established the Bessie C. Armour Award for Community Service “in honor of a lady whose name is synonymous with community service.”
“The award was an extension of her volunteering. The school actually picks a child who is continuing to do her work, so each year there is an award given in her name. The playing field is named for her and so is the headmaster’s house because of all she did for the school,” Ridgley said.
In 2000 Mrs. Armour was honored by the Bethesda Hospital Foundation as one of the Women of Grace for her many years of service to The Soup Kitchen in Boynton Beach. Mrs. Armour organized Thanksgiving food drives at St. Andrew’s School and Gulf Stream School, and worked with the Bethesda Hospital Auxiliary, Good Samaritan Hospital, St. Paul’s Episcopal, Bethesda-by-the-Sea and St. George’s churches. 
Mrs. Armour was born in Paris, France, on Feb. 10, 1923, to Alice and Knight Cowles. Her father studied architecture there before moving to Chicago, and later to Lake Forest, Illinois, where she and her sister, Edith, grew up. She graduated from The Ethel Walker School and attended Sarah Lawrence College. She married Lester Armour Jr. during World War II, living and raising cattle in Dragoon and Sonoita, Arizona, and Canal Point.
In 1959, the Armours moved to Delray Beach, where she embarked on a lifetime of volunteerism.
“She always wanted to give back and she got other people to do it as well,” her daughter said. “Her whole life had been that way.”
Mrs. Armour is survived by two daughters, Susan Ridgley and Sally Farmer of Delray Beach; a son, Lester Armour III of Wellington; six grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
Services were on Feb. 15 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Soup Kitchen, P.O. Box 741155, Boynton Beach, FL 33474 or Gulf Stream School, 3600 Gulfstream Road, Gulf Stream, FL 33483.

OCEAN RIDGE — Ann Cody, who made family integral throughout her long life, died Feb. 24. She was 91.
Ann Handy was born on Dec. 31, 1928, in Montpelier, Vermont. The daughter of Toffee and Theresa Handy, Ann grew up in Montpelier and attended Saint Michael’s High School. She received a college scholarship, but declined it to take care of her ailing mother.
She was married to the love of her life, Rayden Cody, for 68 years. Ann and Rayden raised two daughters, Mary Ann and Vicki. Upon deciding to live full time in Florida, the couple became an integral part of the grandchildren’s — and then great-grandchildren’s — lives. Mrs. Cody also stayed close to her more than 30 nieces and nephews by letters and phone calls and then emails and text — and with their frequent visits to Florida. Her dinner parties, holiday gatherings and famed Lebanese menus kept the family close.
Mrs. Cody’s Catholic faith guided her belief in giving back to the community. She worked with the Vermont Catholic Diocese to deliver newborn babies to their adoptive parents. She was also an active member of the Junior Women’s Club, president of the St. Ann’s Society in Vermont, and she traveled rural New England to register women to vote. Moreover, she delivered meals through Meals on Wheels.
In Florida, she was a communicant of St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach, where she was also a guardian at the perpetual adoration chapel. For over 10 years, Mrs. Cody was an officer of the Oceanwalk Condominium Association in Ocean Ridge. She was also an active member in the Ocean Ridge Garden Club and the Page Turners Book Club.
Those celebrating Mrs. Cody’s life include her children, Mary Ann Cody and Vicki (Warren) Mack; her grandchildren, Colleen (Josh) Rynne, Andrea (Jesse) Drawas, and Cody Mack; her great-grandchildren, Madeline and James Rynne, Hazel and Ruby Drawas; her sister Janet Dutil; and sisters-in-law Sondra Handy, Mary (Fred) Bashara and Yolande Cody.
Ann was predeceased by her husband, Rayden J. Cody, and their infant son, Charles; her brothers James Handy and Joseph Handy; sisters Nancy Handy and Joan Robert; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Robert and Janice Cody, Conrad and Betti Cody, Donald Cody, and Arthur Robert.
A wake was held Feb. 28 at Boynton Memorial Chapel in Boynton Beach. A funeral Mass was celebrated Feb. 29 at St. Vincent Ferrer Church in Delray Beach.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the St. Vincent Ferrer Care Ministry, 840 George Bush Blvd., Delray Beach, FL 33483.

Obituary submitted by the family.

The Johnnie Brown’s building at the corner location near the FEC railroad tracks along Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach was sold to a division of Menin Development. Photo provided

By Christine Davis

A company associated with Menin Development has purchased the Johnnie Brown’s restaurant and bar building in Delray Beach.
The Menin division Rosebud JB LLC paid $7.3 million for the Atlantic Avenue restaurant building on Jan. 31. That works out to just over $2,470 a square foot for the building, built in 1939, on .16 of an acre at Northeast Third Avenue.
The seller, 301 East Atlantic LLC, bought the property for $1 million in 2009.
Another Menin division owns the vacant space to the east that housed Luigi’s Coal Oven Pizza. Rosebud 307 LLC paid $5.5 million in December 2018 and plans to open the Lionfish restaurant in the 4,112-square-foot space. The building dates to 1955.
In addition to the two restaurants, Menin owns a variety of properties in downtown Delray Beach, including a 1936 building housing the Urban Outfitters store and a 1927 building with Capital One Café and bank.
Menin also is developing The Ray hotel on Northeast Second Avenue and the Delray City Market, a food hall on Southeast Third Avenue.
 
South Florida-based real estate investors Shane Neman, principal of Neman Ventures, and Richard Waserstein and Mauricio Bello of Waterstone Capital acquired the Residence Inn by Marriott Boca Raton from the Blackstone Group for $14.5 million in February. The 120-room extended-stay hotel sits on four acres at 525 NW 77th St.
The property will be redeveloped in three phases and is expected to be completed by 2030.
Phase 1 includes a full-scale remodeling and a marketing campaign aimed to increase occupancy. Phase 2’s goal is to increase visibility of the property. Phase 3 will include the addition of a new lodging project that leverages the Marriott brand name as well as a multifamily building complex adjacent to the hotel. 
“There are numerous indicators that peg Boca Raton as South Florida’s next high-growth locale as it further evolves into a live, work, play destination for people of all ages and backgrounds,” Neman said. “We have a grand vision for what this project will become, both in the near term and into the next decade.” 
The Residence Inn by Marriott Boca Raton, which was built in 1988, last traded hands in 2014 for $12 million. 
 
Ralph and Mary Gesualdo bought the waterfront Manalapan mansion at 1920 S. Ocean Blvd. for $10,299,100 from South Ocean Living LLC, managed by Francisco Gonzalez. The eight-bedroom estate, built in 2004, totals 8,706 square feet. Ralph Gesauldo was president of Milwaukee-based International Autos Group, a group of car dealerships in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana.
The deal closed in late January. Christian Angle of Christian Angle Real Estate represented the buyer and the seller. The property last sold for $11.8 million in 2014.
 
Atlantis resident Amy Snook, co-partner in the All About Florida Homes Team of Lang Realty with Noreen Payne of Delray Beach, was recently appointed assistant manager for the Lang Realty Boynton office, where she will assist agents with contracts and client issues.  
 
Kaufman Lynn Construction, headquartered in Delray Beach, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Other news from the company: Tim Bonczek was promoted to vice president of operational excellence and innovation, and Elaine Hinsdale was promoted to vice president of integrated marketing. Bonczek is responsible for the company’s quality control, safety, training and technology research. Hinsdale manages the company’s marketing department and internal communication.
 
Political campaign veteran Joy Howell of Delray Beach is the new communications director for the Florida Democratic Party. Howell has served as communications director and senior strategist for the Federal Communications Commission, as a communications director for the Gore/Lieberman presidential campaign and the 2000 Democratic National Convention and, more recently, was a founder of a national consulting firm. She has had senior strategy roles on dozens of congressional and issue-based campaigns in Florida and nationally. She holds an MPA from Harvard University and an MBA from the University of Redlands.
 
The County Commission has appointed Shirley Erazo, president and CEO of the Delray Beach Housing Authority, to the board of directors of CareerSource Palm Beach County. A company chartered by the state, CareerSource has a team of career counselors, business coaches and training providers to help area businesses with training, grants and talent acquisition. It also offers job seekers career assessments, training and employment help. 
 
The Arc of Palm Beach County has named Ellie Marshall as its new chief operating officer. Marshall joined The Arc, a nonprofit that assists people with developmental disabilities, to oversee the organization’s day-to-day business. Previously, she spent eight years in Washington, D.C., working with the White House Conference on Aging, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Marshall was a senior manager for a luxury homebuilder and started her own art studio.
She has bachelor’s degrees in political science and creative writing from Florida State University, and a master’s degree in philosophy and social policy from George Washington University.
 
Pine Tree Camps at Lynn University appointed Jayson Rubin camp director. He will oversee operations, programming, and camper and staff recruitment. Rubin, who was director and co-owner of Camp Waukeela in New Hampshire, will lead a team of 100 camp counselors at Lynn and welcome more than 1,800 campers each summer.
 
Palm Beach State College has earned national top-10 rankings from two military publishers for the third consecutive year. Military Times and Viqtory have placed PBSC third and fourth respectively on their lists of the best higher education institutions for veterans, which in turn makes PBSC the highest-ranking Florida school in its category. In addition, Viqtory has again designated the college a Gold “Top 10” Military Friendly School, the highest level possible. For information about the college’s Veterans Services department, call 561-868-3380 or visit www.palmbeachstate.edu/VeteransServices.
 
The Institute for Regional Conservation, a nonprofit dedicated to the protection, restoration, and long-term management of ecological biodiversity, received a $5,000 grant from the state of Florida and the Florida Wildflower Foundation. This grant will expand the institute’s Natives for Your Neighborhood website as the go-to source for native plant selection for Florida landscapes.

Josie’s Ristorante and the front of the old Winn-Dixie (right) are all that was still standing on March 2 after demolition in part of Riverwalk Plaza in Boynton Beach. A 326-unit apartment complex is planned for the Winn-Dixie site, and Josie’s will not be allowed to stay in its current location after its lease expires Nov. 30, 2026.

Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

 
Steven Abrams, executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, spoke to members of the Greater Delray Beach Chamber Government Affairs/Economic Development First Friday Forum and gave an update on the Tri-Rail system.
He said that with the state’s population projected to reach 24 million people by 2030, road congestion is expected to worsen. As a result, Abrams and other regional transportation leaders believe that commuter rail and intercity high-speed rail should be part of the state’s plan for managing the challenges that come with population and economic growth in Florida. 
 
Veteran financial trader and Boca Raton resident Larry Benedict helped Boca Helping Hands receive a large annual-match contribution. Through a live online Trade-a-Thon event, Benedict traded options to demonstrate how revenue could be generated using his techniques. In just a few hours, he turned $25,000 in seed funding into more than $100,000, which he donated to Boca Helping Hands. In addition, 1% of sales of online subscriptions during the event to Benedict’s newsletter, The Opportunistic Trader, were donated to Boca Helping Hands.
“We hoped to generate a minimum of $70,000, but were pleased that the total raised ended up being $106,000,” Benedict said. 
The nonprofit Boca Helping Hands provides food, medical and financial assistance to meet basic human needs as well as education, job training and guidance to create self-sufficiency. In January, Charity Navigator named Boca Helping Hands a Four-Star Charity for the 13th consecutive year.
Boca Helping Hands is at 1500 NW First Court. For more information, visit www.bocahelpinghands.org.
 
In January, experts from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem spoke to a full house at the Four Seasons Resort during American Friends of the Hebrew University’s annual Leadership Education Forum. The conference, “A Tradition of Innovation: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Future of Israeli Society, Technology and Medicine,” highlighted fields ranging from health, agriculture and nanotechnology to the humanities, environment and life sciences through Israeli innovations.
Other topics included repairing DNA using advanced genomic methods, and bioengineering future meat technologies. Professor Asher Cohen, president of the university, made a special appearance. Among this year’s chairpersons was Ety Alcalay of Boca Raton.
 
The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties hosted its seventh annual Founders Luncheon on Feb. 4, showcasing a panel discussion, “Power of Place — A Conversation on Housing.”
WPTV anchor Hollani Davis moderated the discussion. Panelists included Jonathan B. Brown, director of Palm Beach County Department of Housing and Economic Sustainability; Suzanne Cabrera, president and CEO of Housing Leadership Council of Palm Beach County; Anne Gerwig, mayor of the village of Wellington; and Jack Weir, president of Eastwind Development Group. 
The luncheon’s founding sponsors are Northern Trust; Rybovich Marina; Lovelight Foundation/Julie & Peter Cummings Family Fund/ Marjorie S. Fisher Fund, and The Grand Tour. Community sponsors included Sherry and Tom Barrat, Florida Power & Light, Palm Beach Illustrated, South Florida PBS, Templeton & Company and WLRN radio.
 
The Boca Chamber’s Community Cookout, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 7, will be at the YMCA of South Palm Beach County, 6631 Palmetto Circle S., Boca Raton. Entry is free with food tickets priced at $5 adults and free for children under 10.  
 

Jane Smith contributed to this column.
Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.

Lois Pope and Jan McArt (l-r) will join Jay Stuart and Carolyn Marcell for the musical Gigi March 14-15 at Lynn University, where McArt directs the theater arts program. She cast her longtime friend Pope as Aunt Alicia, Stuart as Honoré and Marcell as Mamita. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Update: Gigi postponed at Wold Performing Arts Center

Pope ‘perfect’ for role in Gigi, says director and longtime friend McArt

By Larry Keller

Lots of people in Palm Beach County and beyond know Lois Pope as a wealthy philanthropist who has given generously to organizations that help disabled veterans, animal welfare groups and disadvantaged kids, as well as many others.

Fewer are aware, however, that Pope was a stage actress when she was young. Now, decades later, she’s dusting off her thespian skills for a role in the musical Gigi, with three performances March 14-15 at the Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center on the Lynn University campus. Pope plays the character Aunt Alicia.

The play — backed by the Lynn Philharmonia — is being produced and directed by Jan McArt, director of theater arts program development at Lynn, where she presents shows ranging from cabaret to new play readings.

She and Pope go way back.

“We met as Young Turks and were assigned to the same agency,” McArt said. Both were represented by the William Morris Agency in New York, the venerable entertainment and literary firm.

“There were a lot of good-looking girls,” including Florence Henderson and Shirley Jones, McArt recalled. “Lois looked like Grace Kelly and sang like a bird. We didn’t exactly love her for that.” This assessment from somebody who sang opera professionally and bore a more-than-passing resemblance to Elizabeth Taylor.

Jan McArt as she appeared in the 1960s, when she was the star of the Maisonette Room at the St. Regis Hotel in New York.

Modeling, commercials, stage

McArt’s long and varied career includes performing on Broadway and in concert venues abroad. She was even a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. She ran the Royal Palm Dinner Theatre before it closed in 2001 as well as Jan’s Rooftop Cabaret Theatre and the Little Palm Children’s Theater, all in Boca Raton.

Pope was a stage actress for about a dozen years. She was Henderson’s understudy in the lead role of Laurey in a national tour of Oklahoma! in the 1950s. Henderson would later become best known as the mom on The Brady Bunch.

Pope stars in Oklahoma! in the 1950s at the City Center in New York. She remembers it mostly because Richard Rodgers conducted the overture. ‘What a thrill!’ she said. Pope’s stage name was Lois O’Brien. Photo provided

Pope — whose stage name was Lois O’Brien — eventually succeeded Henderson in the Oklahoma! role. She also performed in other Broadway and regional play productions. She co-starred with Phyllis Diller in Wonderful Town in Chicago in the early 1960s, did some modeling and made television commercials for products ranging from cigarettes to laundry detergent. “I made every commercial except for laxatives and tampons,” she said. “The pay was fantastic, and I was able to support myself.”

Pope’s life shifted in another direction after she married George Wood, a prominent agent at William Morris, whose clients included Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. He died a few years later, and she later married Generoso Pope Jr., who founded the National Enquirer. He died in 1988 and she sold the tabloid for $412.5 million.

Since then, Pope has been renowned for her philanthropy, which includes $12 million to the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Palm Beach Gardens for research into retinal and macular degeneration.

Pope, who lives in Manalapan, seems most proud of devoting 16 years to spearheading and helping finance construction of the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, D.C., dedicated in 2014.

Now she’s bringing that same resolve to Gigi.

The movie Gigi was released in 1958. It was directed by Vincente Minnelli and starred Leslie Caron in the title role. It made its Broadway debut in 1973. The story takes place in turn-of-the-20th-century Paris, where a young woman, Gigi, is groomed by her Aunt Alicia to learn etiquette and charm and become a courtesan.

A playboy member of high society named Gaston is Gigi’s friend, but his interest in her turns romantic.

And what is a courtesan? “A courtesan is a woman who has been trained for a certain skill and luxury and style of life, always supported with a man’s money,” McArt explained tactfully.

Pope didn’t mince words. “A whore. They were high-class prostitutes. But only one man at a time.”

The movie role of Aunt Alicia was played by British actress Isabel Jeans, who happened to be the first of the six wives of actor Claude Rains, the hilariously corrupt Capt. Louis Renault (“Round up the usual suspects”) in the film classic Casablanca.

Agnes Moorehead played Aunt Alicia in the Broadway debut of Gigi in 1973. She died of cancer the following year and was replaced by Arlene Francis, best known as a regular panelist on the What’s My Line? game show for 25 years. (McArt and Francis were both guests on the same episode of The Merv Griffin Show in 1962).

Jay Stuart, producer-director Jan McArt, Lois Pope and Carolyn Marcell rehearse the classic musical Gigi at Lynn University in Boca Raton. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Back on the boards

Once McArt decided to produce Gigi, “I thought there was one person who would be absolutely perfect for this role,” she said. Her friend Lois Pope.

“I knew she might be interested because it’s such a wonderful part. She’s the right age. She’s the right style. She’s got a great figure for those clothes. And, she’s a hell of an actress.”

Pope said, “I like the part. I’m getting into her mind. She can be very nasty at times. She’s egotistical. But she’s knowledgeable about a lot of things, too. She’s also very good-hearted. Her goal is to make [Gigi] happy.”

Any doubts about acting after so long?

“I don’t do anything without giving it thought,” Pope said. “When I walk out on that stage, I want to give my fellow actors the very best that I can do. I’m nervous. But you know what? If you’re not nervous, you’re not any good. I work hard to be prepared.”
That she is, McArt said. “There was no hesitancy. She came into her first rehearsal and she knew all her lines. I cannot say that about many actresses.”

Pope clearly is enjoying herself. “I’m totally happy when I’m in this environment. There’s something about show people. There are no words for me to describe it.”

Is a reprise on Broadway on tap for the octogenarian?

“This is Broadway, as far as I’m concerned,” Pope said. “Broadway in Boca Raton.”

If You Go

Gigi is Lerner and Loewe’s musical comedy about a free-spirited young girl living in Paris at the turn of the 20th century and the wealthy young playboy who falls in love with her as she is transformed into a poised courtesan. It includes songs Thank Heaven for Little Girls, I Remember It Well and The Night They Invented Champagne.

When: 2 and 7:30 p.m. March 14 and 4 p.m. March 15

Where: Keith C. & Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center at Lynn University, 3601 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton

Tickets: $50-$70 Info: 561-237-9000 or www.lynn.edu/events

Co-chairs Allan Hendricks and Paula Melley. Photo provided

Live music, food and beverages, a silent auction and a ‘Too Cool for School’ theme are on tap to benefit programs at the Boynton Beach museum. Time is 6 p.m. Cost is $110. Call 561-742-6780 or visit schoolhousemuseum.org.

Co-chairs Debra Ghostine and Bernadette O’Grady (seated) with committee members (l-r): Kristin Calder, Sabine Dantus, Seran Glanfield, Grace Halabi, Kenneth Spillias, Bettina Young, Carol Rose and Laura Silver. Photo provided

Featured speaker Jean Kwok, a best-selling author who wrote Searching for Sylvie Lee, will highlight the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County’s annual fundraiser. Time is 11 a.m. Cost is $150. Call 561-279-9103 or visit literacypbc.org.

By Amy Woods

Boca Raton Regional Hospital has received another transformative donation toward its $250 million “Keeping the Promise” campaign to expand and improve the hospital.

Philanthropists Bernie and Billi Marcus have made an additional gift of $15 million. It will supplement a $25 million commitment from their foundation in 2012, which created the Marcus Neuroscience Institute.

“There are few who understand the value of ensuring the next generation of health care better than Bernie and Billi Marcus,” said Lincoln Mendez, the hospital’s president and CEO. “We are forever grateful to them for their foresight, relentless spirit, selfless generosity and commitment to their passion — the Marcus Neuroscience Institute.”

Keeping the Promise has raised $153 million toward its goal.

Nonprofit is looking for a few good women

Impact 100 Palm Beach County has issued an open invitation to women who want to make difference in their community.

Through March 31, a membership drive is taking place for the organization, which is dedicated to giving high-impact grants to nonprofits that rely on donations to further their missions. The grants will be presented April 15 during the Grand Awards event.

“The goal of Impact 100 Palm Beach County is to turn a nonprofit’s visionary idea into reality in a high-impact way that helps the local community,” President Kathy Adkins said. “Since 2011, Impact 100 Palm Beach County has awarded more than $3.3 million in grants to over 30 nonprofits to make positive change in southern Palm Beach County.”

For more information, call 561-336-4623 or visit www.impact100pbc.org.

Luncheon raises $45,000 for Crossroads Club

More than 200 attended The Crossroads Club’s Gratitude Luncheon to benefit the nonprofit haven for people fighting addiction.
Longtime Delray Beach resident Tony Allerton, the club’s executive director and one of its original members, was honored for six decades of service to the community.

“For 37 years, The Crossroads Club has helped tens of thousands of people who suffer from addiction — from local residents to snowbirds to visitors to our community,” said Delray Beach Mayor Shelly Petrolia, who served as honorary chairwoman. “This nonprofit helps empower individuals to reemerge as positive contributors to our city.”

A total of $45,000 was raised.

Poverty-awareness initiative launched

The Junior League of Boca Raton’s Little Black Dress Initiative will take place March 9-13, raising awareness for the needs of underserved women and children in Palm Beach and Broward counties.

League members will wear the same dress every day for five days along with a button that reads, “Ask Me About My Dress.” The goal is to address the reality of limited resources and lack of choices among people who live in poverty.

The event was to kick off March 5 at Rex Baron Boca Raton. It will coincide with the Association of Junior Leagues International’s Day of Impact on March 10. On March 25, members will donate their dresses to Dress for Success Palm Beaches. Chairwomen Cheryl Marcus and Tara Patton are aiming to raise $20,000 through the initiative to buy diapers for mothers in need.

The Arc receives national award for innovation

It was an amazing year for The Arc of Palm Beach County.

The charity earned 11 awards in 2019 recognizing its programs, services and staff. The Arc received a national Program Innovation Award for designing a student mentor program.

It also recognized two team members, with the Leadership in Education Award (to Bairbre Flood) and the Direct Service Staff Award (to Brooke Teta).

“I see the work my team does and the lives that they impact on a daily basis,” said Kimberly McCarten, president and CEO of The Arc of Palm Beach County. “To have our peers, partners and the community recognize our dedication is both satisfying and humbling.”

Celebrations mark milestone for Toastmasters

The Bill Gove Golden Gavel Toastmasters Club of Boynton Beach recently celebrated its 20th anniversary along with the birthday of its namesake.

Mr. Gove, who died in 2001 at age 89, was a charter member of the local club, which has earned Toastmasters International President’s Distinguished Club status for 17 of its 20 years. He also served as the first president of the National Speakers Association.

The mission of the Bill Gove Golden Gavel Toastmasters Club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment for members to develop communications skills. For more information, call 561-737-7388 or visit billgovetoastmastersclub.com.

Send news and notes to Amy Woods at flamywoods@bellsouth.net.

Rock and Lyn Tate of Hypoluxo Island and Gordon and Melanie Andrews of West Palm Beach announce the marriage of their children, Linda Elizabeth Tate and Brendon Richard Andrews. 

Linda and Brendon were married before family and friends with Pastor Jordan Smith officiating. Hayley Carmo Sheldon was the matron of honor and Richard Andrews was the best man.  The brother of the bride, Rock Tate Jr., and the sister of the groom, Sarah Andrews, did the readings. The groom’s brother, Tyler Andrews, was an usher.  The reception was at E.R. Bradley’s Saloon in West Palm Beach. 

The couple’s honeymoon was at The Breakers in Palm Beach.

Linda was born and raised in Lantana. She graduated from Rutgers University, earning degrees in journalism and psychology.

Brendon was born and raised in West Palm Beach. He graduated from John I. Leonard High School and from the University of Louisville, earning a degree in human health performance with a concentration in physical education and a minor in health education. 

Linda and Brendon were both competitive swimmers and met through the Lake Lytal swim team. Linda captained the team at Rutgers and was a Big East Academic All-Star.  Brendon was a Big East champion and an NCAA Scholastic All-American at Louisville.

They live and work in West Palm Beach.

Sue Benach, Bridget van Arnem and Louise Kornfeld. Photo provided by Studio B Squared

The Arts Garage welcomed nearly 200 friends and supporters to the Soul Party-themed event featuring live performances, silent and live auctions, complimentary cocktails and a three-course dinner. Guests danced the night away, and among the special guests were bandleader Tito Puente Jr. and digital artist Laurence Gartel.

Winners surround Kirsten Stanley and Kathy Adkins after the 2019 Grand Awards. Photo provided by Sherry Ferrante Photography

Impact 100 members will decide which projects earn $100,000 grants after hearing presentations at the Grand Awards event. Time is 5:30 p.m. in Lynn’s Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center. Free for members. RSVP at 561-336-4623 or www.impact100pbc.org.

Update: Bethesda Hospital cancels Bethesda Ball

By Amy Woods

The Bethesda Ball turns 65 this month, but this will be the first ball for the new CEO of Bethesda Hospital.

Nelson Lazo took the reins in December following a nine-year stint as CEO of Doctors Hospital in Coral Gables.

“I am very excited to attend the ball to meet community members and supporters of our hospital,” Lazo said. “That is what the night is all about.”

The event will take place March 14 at The Breakers in Palm Beach, where attendees will enjoy cocktails, dinner, live music and an exclusive auction featuring a European cruise and a Mediterranean yachting excursion, among other items.

“The funds this year will directly support Bethesda Hospital’s greatest need,” Lazo said, noting that he expects upward of $600,000 to be raised. “I envision the funds being used for projects like the emergency room, registration areas, the women’s center and more.”

He plans to unveil key highlights of the hospital’s $300 million capital campaign, Vision 2030, and its impact on Bethesda West Hospital.

“It is a growing community, and we feel that investing in our west facility long term is a very smart investment from our end,” Lazo said. “Plus, it would provide a main expanded service to that community.”

Among his goals as CEO, in addition to enhancing and improving operations at both Bethesda East and Bethesda West hospitals, is to change the format of the ball in 2021. He favors fun over formality.

“I am a strong believer in having a good time,” Lazo said. “You can still wear your tux, but let’s dance, let’s have fun, and let’s have an after-party.”

If You Go
What: Bethesda Ball
When: 6:30 p.m. March 14
Where: The Breakers, 1 S. County Road, Palm Beach
Cost: $650
Information: 561-737-7733, Ext. 84428 or www.bethesdahospitalfoundation.org

Conte, vocalists Carlos Manuel Santana and Josephine Dolce and keyboard player Dino DeMarco. Photo provided

Knights of Columbus St. Padre Pio Council No. 17215’s community event featured a six-course meal of traditional foods catered by Doris Italian Market & Bakery as well as dance hits by a musical trio. A sold-out crowd of 350 helped raise $14,430. ‘We were very happy with the outcome, the great company, good wine and sold-out crowd,’ organizer Dominick Conte said.

Perry Isenberg, John and Meryl Guerrero, Matt and Stephanie Scupp, Tami Isenberg and Bari and Michael Zahalsky. Photo provided

Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options’ annual event raised more than $1 million for abused and neglected children and those with developmental disabilities. Chaired by Stephen and Nanci Beyer and Stephen and Helene Weicholz, the elegant evening featured a cocktail reception, fine dining, silent and live auctions, dancing and a heartwarming presentation about the agency’s life-saving work.

Donald and Linda Silpe and Tracy and Jay Silpe. Photo provided by CAPEHART

Donned in festive attire and masks, guests gathered to cavort, frolic and raise funds for the nonprofit institute. The annual extravaganza took place amid a backdrop of art and artisans complete with pomp and circumstance. ‘We are so thankful to the community for joining us again this year to celebrate the start of the carnival season and helping us raise funds to support the Armory’s creative future,’ Executive Director Tom Pearson said.

Paul Finizio and Michique. Photo provided

Il Circolo, the Italian Cultural Society, had a night of gourmet cuisine enjoyed by 100-plus guests. The Campanese dishes, exquisitely prepared by Chef Fabrizio Giorgi, were enhanced by musical entertainment from Fabian Michique. Co-chairs included Rose De Angelis and Regina Peters.