Paul Thomas Collins
Paul Thomas Collins, of Sarasota, formerly of Worcester, Mass., and Anna Maria, died Oct. 18 following a battle with cancer. He was born March 8, 1942.
Mr. Collins worked in real estate on Anna Maria Island and in Sarasota. He was an avid boater and he loved the beaches of Anna Maria Island.
A celebration of life was held Oct. 23 in Sarasota.
Mr. Collins survivors include daughters Emma Collins of Sarasota, Akela Ribe of Gainesville, Stephanie Madden of Columbia, S.C., and Aria McKenna Collins of Jersey City; sons Kevin Paul Collins of Anna Maria and Colton McKenna Collins of St. Augustine; grandchildren Lila and Cooper Madden of Columbia, S.C., and Georgia Conson Collins of Melbourne, Australia; sister Mary Frances Donahoe of Gainesville; and brother David Paul Collins of Corona del Mar, Calif. Special thanks to friends Joe Cirulli, Eric Sobol, Jonathan and Sue Soar and Tom and Kim Freiwald.
Johanna Zimmerman
Johanna Zimmerman, 77, of Bradenton Beach, died Oct. 19. She was born in Germany Jan. 19, 1933.
Mrs. Zimmerman came to Florida in 1970 and lived in Bradenton Beach. She was an employee of Island Bazaar for 20 years.
She was proud of her American citizenship and befriended many German visitors with language barriers with translations and assistance on Anna Maria Island.
Benjamin ‘Ben’ Brown
Benjamin “Ben” Brown, 54, of Holmes Beach, died Oct. 23. He was born May 22, 1956, in Portsmouth, Ohio, and moved to Florida in 1996. He served in the U.S. Air Force.
The family plans a private memorial, and thanks their friends at North Beach Village and hospice.
Mr. Brown is survived by wife Diane; sons William and Ryan Anderson; brother David and wife Tammy of Portsmouth; and sisters Mary, Christie and Karn, all of Portsmouth.
John Van Ostenbridge
John Van Ostenbridge, 78, of Bradenton, died Oct. 30.
He was born in New Jersey and moved to Holmes Beach in 1949, where he lived for 51 years.
He was a partner in Van Ostenbridge Construction for more than 40 years and took pride in the many homes he built on Anna Maria Island.
He served as scout master for six years in the 1950s. He was a long-time member of Roser Memorial Church where he served over the years as Sunday school teacher, deacon, trustee and chairman of the congregation. He was a director of the Roser Youth Fellowship and founded the scholarship committee. In May, the church council voted to honor Van Ostenbridge with its first-ever Exceptional Volunteer Service Award.
In 1954, Mr. Van Ostenbridge joined what was then the Anna Maria Fire Department as a volunteer and worked his way up to assistant fire chief. In 1984, he retired from that position and served on the board as a fire commissioner. He was chairman of the building committee that constructed the station in Cortez and Station 1 in Holmes Beach.
He was an active member of the then-Island Youth Center for 14 years, coached youth football and baseball teams and served on the center board of directors for a number of years.
In 1972, Mr. Van Ostenbridge was the last person elected to serve as Holmes Beach city marshal. He was named that year as the Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island “Man of the Year,” recognizing his outstanding volunteer work in the community.
Mr. Van Ostenbridge was a member of the Manatee Senior Babe Ruth League, where he coached a local team to the Florida State Championship in 1977.
In 1990, he was recipient of the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award.
A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Memorial donations may be made to Roser Memorial Community Church, P.O. Box 247, Anna Maria FL 34216, or Tidewell Hospice & Palliative Care, 5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota FL 34238. Brown and Sons Funeral Home and Crematory 43rd Street Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be may be made to www.brownandsonsfuneral.com.
Mr. Van Ostenbridge is survived by his wife of 57 years, Daryl (Hedgcock); sons Aaron “Butch” and wife Edie, John and wife Joyce, and Scott and wife Victoria, all of Bradenton; grandchildren Kevin, Keith, Anna, Abi, Dara and husband Trent Sealand and Dillon Roberts, all of Bradenton, and Jamie Weldon of Blairsville, Ga.; three great-grandchildren; and sister Wilma Tuit of Bradenton.