fi nals in 1955. At that time, there were a few
students from Boca Grande who chose to attend
Venice/Nokomis High School. For several years,
he would bus the island students to Boca Grande
after school. There was no causeway at the time,
so the students would have to arrange a boat ride
back to their homes.
“I would drop them off by the little fi sh shacks
that were near The Fishery,” Dick said. “Walter
Gault owned some property and an ice house in
Placida, and all the little fi shing shacks were built
for his workers. Walter’s son was in my class, and
his dad and I became friends. We would fi sh for
mullet in the evenings.”
What next?
In 1975, Dick
started a fi shing
charter business
called “Gasparilla
Charters.”
He took an
evening course
with the coast
guard and
received his
captain’s license.
After that he
started out
taking people
sightseeing around the islands. He also offered
guided and wading trips in the grass fl ats. He had
that business for eight years.
Still working as a teacher and coach, Dick built a
successful athletic department at the school, getting
help from the American Legion, the Elks Club
and the Lions Club. The clubs raised money over
the years to help build an athletic fi eld.
“I had a lot of good people help me.”
At that time, he had to make a decision whether
to pursue teaching or running the business full
time. He decided to retire from teaching.
When he was in his early 50s, Dick met
Gerri, his current partner of 42 years, at “Whiskey
Corners,” an Englewood drinking and dancing spot
located at what is now known as the intersection
of Placida Road
and 776.
“He stopped
in for a drink
and asked me
to dance,” Gerri
said. “We fell in
love that night.”
In 1977,
Dick and Gerri
moved to
Rotonda. He
wanted to stay
closer to his
boats, especially
their houseboat
docked at Gasparilla Marina.
Always an active man, Dick needed something
more to do after retiring, so he managed a
company called “Nice Ice” in Englewood.“There
wasn’t a lot of ice available in the area and everybody
4 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE November/December 2019
Dick met Gerri at Whiskey Corners in Englewood.
wanted it,” he said. “We made it, bagged it
and delivered it.”
The ice was sold for cash only. It was delivered
to Cole’s Campground, Miller’s Marina, Hudson’s
Grocery and several other places on the island.
Nice Ice did not accept any checks -- with one
exception.
“If it was from Mrs. Whidden, then it was
approved,” he said. “We knew she was good for it.”
After years of delivering two tons of ice each
week, it was becoming a lot of work.
52 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE November/December 2019