William Caleb Grimes

William Caleb Grimes, of Palmetto, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2007. He was a second generation Floridian, born on Oct. 17, 1918. He was the son of the late Jessie Sims Grimes and Edward Glenn Grimes, and brother to the late Mary Glenn Grimes Goebel. Mr. Grimes graduated from Palmetto High School in 1935, and obtained his undergraduate degree in Business Administration with honors from the University of Florida. His LLB was conferred by the University of Florida College of Law in 1941, and replaced by a Juris Doctor degree in 1967. Mr. Grimes also received his Masters in Business Administration from Harvard University in 1945. Mr. Grimes began his law career with McKay, McFarlane, Jackson and Ramsey, in Tampa, Fla., but shortly thereafter, in Dec. 1941, he was called to active duty in the United States Army. He entered the service as a 2nd Lieutenant, having been an ROTC student in college. Mr. Grimes served in the Army throughout World War II, and was stationed for a period in Belfast, Ireland, with the First Armored Division. He completed his military service at Ft. Devens, Mass., having reached the rank of Major. In was during the period that he was stationed at Ft. Devens that he met Janet Craig Brouillette, a native of Wilder, Vt., whom he married in August 1947. Following their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Grimes made their home in Palmetto. There, Mr. Grimes recommenced the practice of law, joining his father Glenn in the firm that Glenn had begun in 1922. In 1926, the firm moved its offices to the then newly-constructed Professional Building in downtown Bradenton, where it has remained through the present day. Mr. Grimes was a senior member of the firm of Grimes Goebel Grimes Hawkins Gladfelter and Galvano, PL until his retirement in 2006. His practice spanned all of the firm's practice areas, including civil trial practice, eminent domain and estate planning. He also served as attorney for the City of Palmetto for many years. Mr. Grimes served two terms as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1954 to 1958. While in the State Legislature, Mr. Grimes was instrumental in the adoption of the Bulkhead Act, which put an end to the indiscriminant dredging and filling of the bays and other waterways of Florida, and was a supporter of the bill which created the two-year community college system in Florida. What he considered his greatest achievement, however, involved the creation and preservation of Coquina Beach and Leffis Key on Anna Maria Island. To improve navigation, the channel between Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key underwent significant dredging in the mid-1950's and as a consequence the uplands of the southern end of Anna Maria Island were greatly expanded in size with the dredged soils. The lands created were owned by the State of Florida and in 1957, then Governor LeRoy Collins, a friend and colleague of Mr. Grimes, sought counsel from the Manatee County delegation as to the disposition of those lands. The delegation consisted of Senator Joe Bill Rood and Representatives Jimmy Pratt and William Grimes, all of whom supported the use of the lands as a public beach and park. Drawing upon his legal background, Mr. Grimes recommended that the lands be deeded by the State to Manatee County, and that the conveyance document include a restriction requiring that the lands be used perpetually for public purposes, and preventing their sale to private interests. As a result, Coquina Beach and Leffis Key remain to this day as one of the largest public beaches in the area, providing facilities for swimming, boating access, nature trails, fishing and picnicking. Mr. Grimes was very active in civic, charitable and professional organizations. He was a former President of the Manatee County Chamber of Commerce, a former Chairman of the Manatee Economic Development Committee, a former Chairman of the Democratic Party of Manatee County, a former President of the Rotary Club, a former President of the Manatee County Bar Association, and served on the boards of many other organizations. In 1974, Mr. Grimes was recognized as Manatee County's Distinguished Citizen of the Year. He was elected by his fellow lawyers of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit to serve on the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar from 1974 to 1979. In 2006, he was recognized by the Manatee County Bar Association as one of the Legends of the Bar. Throughout his life, Mr. Grimes was an active supporter of the Palmetto Boys Club. He volunteered as a youth baseball coach at the Palmetto Branch for many years and also as a director of the Club. He served for 20 years, with the late Harry Pratt, as a co-trustee of the Alice Myers Trust which donated the Palmetto Pines Golf Course to the Palmetto Boys Club. Mr. Grimes was an avid sportsman, enjoying fishing, hunting, golf and anything that included the great outdoors. Mr. Grimes is survived by his wife of 59 years, Janet; daughter Elizabeth Clark Grimes Wallace, and her husband George Wallace, Jr. of Birmingham, Alabama; son Caleb John Grimes, and his wife Michele Boardman Grimes of Palmetto, Florida; and grandchildren Courtney Elizabeth Hopkins, Morgan Brouillette Grimes, Leslie Anne Hopkins, Rachel Owen Grimes, Caitlin Michele Grimes and Kyle William Grimes. Survivors also include treasured friend Delver D. Couch; niece Maureen Theroux, her husband Bill, and their daughter Aimee' Theroux Demiduke Sarasota; niece Barbara Kibben, her husband Kirby, and their sons Eric and Brian. Mr. Grimes also was close to extended family members who reside locally, the Hawkins, Kennedy and Eskew families. Visitation will be held Thursday evening, Feb. 15, 2007, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at Griffith Cline Funeral Home, on Manatee Avenue, Bradenton. The funeral will be held Friday, Feb. 16, 2007, at 10:00 a.m., at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, in Palmetto, with burial following at the Palmetto Cemetery. The family requests that any memorials be made to The Boys and Girls Clubs of Manatee County or St. Mary's Episcopal Church.