Group 1

Honoring Bill Blue

The Bill Blue Story

Born in Aberdeen, North Carolina, and raised in Yorktown, Virginia, Bill Blue first picked up a guitar when he was in school in Richmond, Virginia. Playing along with records at first, Blue began to develop his unique slide guitar technique.

A chance meeting with Arthur (Big Boy) Crudup --who wrote Elvis Presley’s hit “That’s Alright Mama”-- ignited Bluel’s life-long passion for Blues music.

With the British music invasion of the 60’s and 70’s bringing R&B bands like The Rolling Stones to the USA, interest in Blues music grew and Arthur Crudup who’d been working as a farm hand, asked Blue to put together a live band.

Crudup and Blue toured the USA, most notably opening for Bonnie Raitt on her first American tour.

After Crudup died in 1974, Blue went out on his own and for a decade toured extensively, sharing the stage with BB King, ZZ Top, The Allman Brothers, Albert King, Johnny Winter,  and countless others at Blues festivals across the USA.

Blue made 2 LPs for the Feather label before signing with the prestigious Adelphi record label, one of the best blues labels in the US. Blue made 2 LP’s for Adelphi and the worldwide distribution the label offered gave him the chance to be heard around the world.

In the eighties, tired of the road, Blue stopped touring and moved to Key West.

He continued playing at the legendary Sloppy Joe’s with his band, The Nervous Guys, and  was the first musician to ever play at the famous Green Parrot, now known worldwide as an outstanding live music venue.

Armed with some great songs, his unique style of slide guitar playing, and a gravelly voice that had deepened with age, Blue went into the studio for two live rhythm track sessions with drummer Richard Crooks (a New York player whose credits included playing with Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Dr.  John, and Paul Simon), Nashville guitarist Michael McAdam, London guitarist Matt Backer, Key West Drummer Mick Kilgos,and various other members of Blue’s live band.

The resulting LP, “Mojolation,” garnered stellar reviews, worldwide airplay, and reached No.1 on ReverbNation’s Blues chart and on the British Blues Broadcaster’s chart.

“Mojolation” was released on October 13th 2013 at a record release party at The Green Parrot. In honor of Bill’s new record, his charity work, his being the “elder statesman” of the Key West music scene, the City Of Key West declared October 13th to be Bill Blue Day in perpetuity.

A second album, “The King of Crazy Town,” was also released by Conch Town Records.

Honoring Jacki Leahy

JACKI LEAHY 1954-2022
Jacki loved working on the Crooks Crew.  Her support, ingenuity and enthusiasm shaped the early years of the Crooks Annual Second Line.
Jacki was usually found near water.  She was a life guard, scuba instructor and a cruiser on her beloved sailboat, Rainbow Chaser.
She spent her last decade as caretaker of the Melbourne Yacht Club with her husband Jack and her Jack Russell terrier, Jackson.


Honoring Catherine Good Duncan

Catherine Good Duncan transitioned safely and joyously home to her mansion of light in the Grand Universe of God’s domain on Oct. 27, 2020; although not how she, or anyone who loved her, had planned. She leaves behind her daughters Katchen Duncan (Thomas Loth) and Jessica Wex (Andrew Wex), her sister Caren Ward (Mark Carpenter) her brothers Lloyd Good III and John Good (Amber Good), her sisters in love Lisa Johnson and Tamara Chanmugam, her nieces and nephews Clara Christina Ward, Samuel Carpenter, Emily Good, Sara Alia Good-Chanmugam, Lilly Good and Logan Good, and her first grandchild, due in December.

Catherine was born in Philadelphia on Dec. 12, 1958 to Miriam Good and Lloyd Good, Jr. Their family moved to the Florida Keys when they purchased Sugarloaf Lodge in 1973. After graduating from University of Colorado, with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Catherine moved back home to the Keys to raise her two daughters where they could be close to their extended and colorful family.

A member of Unity of the Keys for many years, Catherine was active on their board and music team and also loved leading meditations. She was a devoted yogi all of her life, practicing and teaching the ways of spirituality, peace and boundless compassion up until her final breath. She was a bold artist, fantastic costume maker, and loved singing with the Keys Chorale. She was incredibly funny and was known for her boisterous laugh and often amusing herself. She was also whip smart, and ready for a swim or a party at a moment’s notice. Her brilliant brain and competitive spirit made her a formidable Scrabble and chinese checkers opponent. She could even turn a jigsaw puzzle into a fierce sport. Catherine was loved by many and had innumerable best friends. She encouraged them all to follow their bliss, to not waste a single moment, and she supported everyone with her limitless generosity.

Catherine was invincible, a “complicated medical miracle”, and a 32-year (!!) breast cancer survivor. She not only survived, but thrived! She radiated zeal, good humor, positivity and dedication to a whole life. Catherine inspired everyone she met simply with her mere presence. Her legacy is truly a message of commitment to self-care, health and passionate love.

Donations to the “Above and Beyond” fund at Unity of the Keys can be made in honor of Catherine always going above and beyond for her daughters, her family and her friends. In love and peace, freedom and joy we surround you with love Mommy, “The Thrin”, Aunt Cathy, “The Duchess of Sugarloaf.”

Honoring Norma Gilmore

Norma Gilmore

FEBRUARY 14, 1944 – DECEMBER 18, 2022

Norma Gilmore, born Norma Jean Amore on February 14, 1944 in Coshocton,

Ohio. She was one of three children to J. Herbert Amore and Gertrude Roahrig

Amore and remembered by her two sisters, Carol Van Auken and Ellen Gray. She

was a loving wife to Charles Roy Gilmore, deceased in January 2019. She departed

this earthly life on Sunday, December 18, 2022 at the age of 78.

She is survived by her son, Anthony (Jodi); and grandchildren, Nicholas and Ashley.

Norma was a wonderful step-mother and was loved dearly by her step-children,

Robert (Lisa), David (Kathy) and Elizabeth Hartsock (Harry); step-grandchildren,

Matthew, Kelly, Mindy, Jessica, Michael, and Sarah; she was loved by all of her

great-grandchildren.

She was involved in many activities that included square dancing, scuba diving,

travel, bicycling, bridge, painting, and social clubs. She was a woman that made you

feel like a dear friend from the time you met her. She is known for her elaborate

costumes with her Key West friends. They were creative, full of color, and inspired

many memories. Norma loved an adventure. Her travels included China, Europe,

and many other countries. She loved Key West and Key West loved her.

Gifts in lieu of flowers may be made in Norma’s memory to St. Jude’s Children

Research Hospital. Give your way to help kids with cancer

at https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html.

Norma will be laid to rest in The Woodlands, Texas. There will be a Celebration of

her Life in late March in Key West.

Honoring George Evelyn Caffrey

Ms. George Evelyn Caffrey
01/03/1948 to March 20, 2021


On the first day of spring, March 20, 2021, my best friend in the world, Ms. George Evelyn Caffery, left this world. She had been beset by a stroke, back on November 8, 2020.
She had been working hard to recover, but the effects just proved too much.
George was the original red-headed, freckle faced, firecracker. She was known to many locally as “Girl George”. As a child, she was so cute; she could have been a Cambell’s Soup model.
George, who was named for her Aunt George, who was, herself, named for her Grandfather George, reportedly, because they had two generations of girls born, and just decided that the next child would be George, regardless of gender.
My Girl George was born an army brat, in Heidelberg, Germany. She traveled with her family to numerous postings, and fondly remembered her steamship trip back to the U.S.
Her family settled in the Orlando area, where George attended high school.
During her high school career, George was in an all-girl rock and roll band, The Shambles, with her buddies Kayo, Mick, and Barb, rocking several exciting gigs in the central Florida area.
After high school, George attended Ringling College, and graduated with a fine arts degree.
George spent the Viet Nam years in Canada, first with the father of her two sons, Jack Vann (Vann) Caffery, and Jess Caffery, then as a single mom.
She migrated back to Florida with her second husband, Mark, landing in Key West in 1980.
For a short time, she was part of a cooperative art gallery on Greene Street.
She then turned to retail sales. Her reputation for comfort shoe expertise and hats went on for years.
She then turned to fine art framing, being a fixture at Ben Franklin Crafts for several years, then with Alan Maltz Gallery, sharing the fine framing duties with her buddy, Shane.
My Girl George was an accomplished seamstress, who made most of what she wore. Her stitchery was always precise, neat, and complete.
On our first Christmas together, I thought I would buy her a dress. Never again would I make that mistake, as she was hard to fit and most particular. On the rare occasion when we would be shopping and she found something that she actually approved of, it would mean an immediate purchase by me for her.
She was also an accomplished bead weaver. Her intricate jewels were, like the rest of her work, precise, measured, colorful, and exquisitely rendered.
George loved the red rocks of New Mexico, Boca Chica Beach, and her large group of friends.
For the past several years, George has tended a tiny English garden in our front yard, with all kinds of whatever flowers had caught her fancy, with quite variable results, but always soothing in execution.
George is survived by her two sons, Vann Caffery, his partner, Marisa Compton, her other son, Jess Caffery, his partner, Valarie Lauritzen, and George’s partner, Phil Tannura.
She is also survived by her cousins Christina and Rick, and countless friends and acquaintances here and abroad.
We are planning an outdoor, safe, celebration of her life (George would not want us to be unsafe in these times) on April 1, 2021, at Windsor Castle, 720 Windsor Lane, from around six to eight in the evening.
We plan to block off Galveston Lane at the Windsor Lane entrance for the celebration.
My time with my Girl George was just so sweet! I will always remember her smile.
I will love her all my life! Please stop by if you can!

Honoring Joe Dallas, Sr.

Joe Dallas Sr.

Joe Dallas Sr., jazz trombonist and adjunct jazz faculty member at Duquesne University had a long and varied career. He performed with artists such as Tony Bennett, Vic Damone, Sammy Davis, Jr., Aretha Franklin, Lou Rawls, Neal Hefti, Frank Sinatra, Jr., and Michelle Le Grand. He performed in the world Premiere Jazz Ballet “The Great Gatsby”, conducted by Guenther Schuller; made guest appearances on “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood” and other PBS specials; is a former member of the Si Zenter Band at the Tropicana in Las Vegas; was artist in residence and jazz trombone teacher for the Clark Terry International Institute of Jazz at Westmar University in LeMars, Iowa, and was clinician and guest performer at Frostburg State College in Maryland and SUNY in Binghamton, New York, among many others. Local Pittsburgh performances include the John Wilson Big Band, the Joe Negri Quartet, Jimmy Beaumont and the Skyliners, and many jazz venues including performances for the Pittsburgh Jazz Society.
Joe was also a member of the Paradise Big Band in Key West, Florida, the Key West Pops, and he appeared frequently in shows and jazz performances in Key West although he was mostly a Pittsburgh-based jazz musician. Joe produced a jazz CD which featured himself, his son Joe Dallas Jr. and many of the best jazz performers in Pittsburgh and Key West.
Joe was born in Pittsburgh in 1939, and he started playing trombone when he was in sixth grade. Within a couple of years, he became a student of the renowned trombone teacher, Matty Shiner. He attended Morehead University in Kentucky on a full music scholarship, taught public school music and gave private lessons in Kentucky and Pittsburgh for many years while continuing to perform.

Honoring John Lewis

John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American Congressman and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in 2020. He was the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966. Lewis was one of the “Big Six” leaders of groups who organized the 1963 March on Washington. He fulfilled many key roles in the civil rights movement and its actions to end legalized racial segregation in the United States. In 1965, Lewis led the first of three Selma to Montgomery marches across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. In an incident which became known as Bloody Sunday, state troopers and police attacked themarchers, including Lewis.

A member of the Democratic Party, Lewis was first elected to Congress in 1986 and served 17 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district he represented included most of Atlanta. Due to his length of service, he became the dean of the Georgia congressional delegation. While in the House, Lewis was one of the leaders of the Democratic Party, serving from 1991 as a Chief Deputy Whip and from 2003 as a Senior Chief Deputy Whip. John Lewis received many honorary degrees and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.

Honoring Norman Stikes

Norman Stikes was a quiet, nurturing, strong, supportive presence in the foster home he shared with his wife Lori. He selflessly cared for many of the county’s most vulnerable youth without complaint. Since 2012, Norm fostered more than 70 children from Monroe who needed a loving, safe temporary home. He and Lori often took these children in at a moment’s notice. Together they provided them with structure, allowed them to heal, and helped them take their next steps in their journeys. They often cared for special needs children, large sibling groups, and those with fragile medical conditions. Every child that passed through their home was given a respite from the abuse and neglect that led them there. Norm helped all these children create better paths and opportunities for positive life experiences. He did not draw the line with supporting the children; he also supported the parents and modeled positive parenting behaviors demonstrating that it takes a village to create stronger families. Sadly, in December 2021, Norm lost his battle with Covid and passed away. He leaves behind many people who remember him fondly for having lived out a calling. He took action to help others and made a true difference in this world for so many children. Wesley House Family Services is indebted to him for everything he has done for foster youth in Monroe County, and we will deeply miss him.

 

“He was a realist, a person who saw through the nonsense and got straight to the point with dignity and respect to take care of the kids in his home; he recognized it took a village to help families and he played a central role.” –Tiffany Da Silva WHFS, CBC Director

“Norman was overall a kind man. You can tell he enjoyed his job and got along well with the kids. He was also very funny and could crack a joke in almost any way and is loved by many.”— Foster Youth 

“I will always remember Norman’s influence on kids, he was a natural ‘dad’, he lived that role, he was proud of the kids and really made a difference.” – Ben Kemmer FKCS, CEO

“He was a loving and funny foster Dad who made the sad days happier. I will miss him and his home with the chocolate cookies.” -Foster Youth

“Mr. Norm was a great person and would always help me out if I needed it. Anytime I was upset or down he knew how to make me smile. Mr. Norm was and still is a big inspiration for me to become successful. He told me about the adventures he has been on and the places he traveled. I want to be like that one day. He understood me like no one else and truly saw me. I could always rely on him to make me laugh or just talk seriously. He wholeheartedly loved me and my siblings and always wanted us to succeed. He was a really wise man and I wanted him to see all my accomplishments. I hope God is treating him right up there. Just know I will always miss you Mr. Norman.” –foster youth. 

“Norm was larger than life, and still somehow the gentle giant that supported so many children in their times of need. I always appreciated his sense of humor, and willingness to help any child who came through their door. He was non-judgmental with the kids and allowed them to just be kids. Wesley House was blessed to have Norm, and he will be sorely missed.”—Megan Burgess, Foster Parent Coordinator

“Norm was a mentor to so many youths that cross his path. He was a beacon of hope to those that loss their way. A strong tower yet a gentle giant that will forever be remembered and never forgotten.”—WHFS Manager Kenneth Williams

“Norm was a strong role model for the many children who entered his home. He treated his foster children, their biological families, and community partners with the utmost respect. His compassion, baking skills, and generosity will be strongly missed.”—WHFS QA Liaison Nicole Moynihan

“I feel immeasurable fortune to be part of the team with Norm that set up the foster homes in Key West. He was always a delight to work with and talk to. I will miss him terribly. Norm changed opportunities for generations to come. “— Bryan Green WHFS, Board President.

“Norm was a compassionate foster parent and a mentor to our children. He was an example to all.”—Aleida Jacobo, WHFS CEO

“He was nice and friendly, as long as I lived with Mr. Norman he always treated me like family and he liked to joke with me and buy me things.”— Foster Youth

Honoring Suzanne Mounger

Suzanne Mounger was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. Her enthusiasm for life and adventure was contagious, and she never met a stranger. After visiting Key West for more than 15 years, her dream of living in this amazing community became a reality in 2011 when she moved here with her daughter and granddaughter, Cassidy & Delaney. She quickly acclimated to island life and was an avid supporter of local music and events. She met and married the love of her life, Scott, in 2015 and they traveled the world together, experiencing 26 countries and 28 states. Suzanne’s witty sense of humor, positive outlook, and dazzling smile remained strong throughout her year-long battle with pancreatic cancer, which sadly took her from us on November 15th, 2021. She is missed, but will remain in our hearts forever.

Honoring Woody Allen

Woody Allen, born Edward Rutledge Allen, Feb.12, 1950 in NYC, died Aug. 24, 2021 at home in Portsmouth, NH with his family by his side. Woody grew up in '50's Chicago (lifelong Cubs fan), '60's and '70's Manhattan with college years at Princeton University (class of '72). The English major with a musical soul followed his heart to Key West, FL where he settled in 1977 and flourished, creating a rich legacy of music composition, recording, and performance (foremost with his band The Survivors), fathering three beautiful children, and marrying the love of his life, Chance B. Allen.


Woody and Family moved to Portsmouth in 1995. His many years here included memorable stints performing at the York Harbor Inn, the Press Room and MC Perkins Cove, as well as minding the store at Gary's Guitars. Many locals will remember him as a kind and patient teacher of the guitar & ukulele. Woody also had a devoted Chigong practice.


He is predeceased by his father John and brother Peter, and is survived by his loving wife Chance, their children Zeph, Gracie and Finn Allen; also by his brother James "Din" and his mother Pat Allen, Sharona Setlock, Carla Fuquay, many beloved nieces, nephews, in-laws, friends, students, musical colleagues, co-workers, and fans.

The family is grateful to their many friends en Cayo Hueso. Forever may we keep "Feelin' good down in our neighborhood!"