Longtime Manatee County Commissioner Pat Glass dies at 93

Manatee County’s first female county commissioner Patricia M. Glass died Sept. 1 at 93 years old. 

She was initially elected to the Manatee County Commission in 1978, became its chairwoman in 1980 and served as chairwoman seven times during her tenure on the board. She retired in 2006.

“Pat was a mentor, a friend and an unbelievable leader that so many of us looked to for advice and guidance over the years,” said County Commissioner Carol Whitmore, who succeeded Glass on the Commission in 2006. “I’m so glad we were able to celebrate her career when we renamed the Commission Chambers in her honor (in 2018).”

Pat’s daughter, Mary Glass, said her mother died of natural causes at her final home at Surrey Place Healthcare & Rehabilitation.

“We appreciate the outpouring of prayers and kind words that have already come in over the past few hours,” Mary Glass said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “We will announce arrangements when they are made.”

A gerontologist by trade, Pat Glass was an advocate for the elderly throughout her career. She led efforts to improve local healthcare, affordable housing, environmental protection and drinking water resources for Manatee County residents.

Glass also was instrumental in the authorization and funding of major public assets such as the Manatee County Administrative Center, the Manatee County Public Safety Center, the Manatee County Jail and Port Manatee. She served as the chairwoman of the Tourist Development Council five times and led the community effort to purchase and preserve the Powel Crosley Estate.

Pat Glass is survived by four children and four grandchildren. Her husband, Henry, passed away in 2010. Pat and Henry also had a son, Patrick, who passed away in 1993.