Franklin Greenman was a friend of mine long before we served on Marathon’s inaugural city council. I respected him as a good local attorney … but I really liked Frank as a person. He was always respectful, engaging, intelligent and a down-to-earth human being.
As the incorporation question worked its way through the community of Marathon, I often saw Frank at many of our get-togethers and meetings. I sat beside him when then-state Sen. Daryl Jones held a town hall meeting at Marathon High School. At that time, Jones was not convinced that Marathon should incorporate. The senator heard more than a few earfuls from residents who believed otherwise and spoke their minds. At one point during this exasperating meeting, Frank leaned over to me and said, “He just doesn’t get it!”
It took some extra cajoling, but Jones finally did sign on to the incorporation bill, with then-state Rep. Ken Sorenson sponsoring it in the Florida House. The referendum took place on Nov. 2, 1999 and passed by a two-thirds majority.
Frank and I hit the campaign trail; Frank ran for Seat 4, I ran for Seat 2. We were both victorious, along with Bob Miller (Seat 1), Randy Mearns (Seat 3) and Jon Johnson (Seat 5). Each member of that first council brought their own unique talents and backgrounds to the job. We worked well together and really got a lot done in the four years that Frank and I sat together on that dais.
Frank and I didn’t agree on everything, but I certainly respected his decisions and his points of view. One of his characteristics I really admired was his ability to try and see all sides to a given issue and his ability to keep an open mind. In a Weekly article about Frank from January 2022, I said, “What Frank brought to the council was a sense of vision for the city, trying to make it better in every possible way. His positions weren’t set in stone, and he was very open-minded. If someone showed him an idea or an angle that he hadn’t thought of, he might change his position right there on the dais.”
One of the more contentious issues we faced was the redevelopment of Sombrero Beach. Through lack of good communication and distortion from the coconut telegraph, a large number of residents were convinced that we wanted to turn Sombrero Beach into Miami or Fort Lauderdale Beach. An initial workshop on the issue did little to ease people’s minds, so we scheduled a second workshop that I as vice mayor would chair. It went much better, and our Sombrero Beach was named one of the top beaches in the U.S.
After the workshop, Frank wrote me a letter that I still have hung on display in my office. He wrote, “I am writing this in acknowledgement and gratitude for the fine job you did chairing the Sombrero Beach workshop. I know, to a certainty, that if you had not been in charge, with your patience and humor, as well as your obvious determination to get a good job done, that workshop would have been a disaster, instead of the success that you made it. I am proud to be on this council with you, and especially proud of the way you represented the best we could be last Wednesday.”
I’m pretty sure that Frank knew I felt the same way about him and his service to our city; I only wish I’d had a chance to tell him one more time. Franklin Greenman passed away in his new home in Seattle on Nov. 26 at age 77. We send our condolences to his wife Judy and his three beautiful daughters, Suzie, Kelley and KG. From teaching at Marathon High School, to his law practice, and on to his public service, Frank Greenman made a difference. There is no better tribute or legacy than that.
————
Want to have some two-wheeled fun this Saturday? Join the 5th annual Elf Ride for Presents In Paradise on Big Pine Key! The ride starts Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Big Pine Bicycle Center, and goes to the Moose Lodge and Coconuts before winding up at Boardwalk. Decorate your bikes, dress as your favorite elf, and have some old-fashioned holiday fun for a great cause!
