Former Longboat Key resident turns 107 years old

By Carter Weinhofer
| 1:00 p.m. July 1, 2024

Longboat Key
Neighbors

A longtime member of the Longboat community, Reggie Gurland, turned 107 on June 23.

Reggie Gurland and her two sons, Mel and John.

Although Gurland recently moved to Englewood with one of her sons, Diana Spanos said her Longboat legacy continues. Spanos and Gurland were neighbors for many years and grew close.

For Gurland’s birthday, Spanos and a group of Longboat residents went to visit her for a party.

Gurland moved to Longboat in 1976 and had a house in Sleepy Lagoon.

Around that time, she also became very interested in ceramics and taught classes out of her Longboat residence. She also sold her art around the island, which made her well-known among residents.

Spanos fondly remembered Gurland’s love for an afternoon cocktail — a social hour that brought many of her neighbors together.

author

Carter Weinhofer

Carter Weinhofer is the Longboat Key news reporter for the Observer. Originally from a small town in Pennsylvania, he moved to St. Petersburg to attend Eckerd College until graduating in 2023. During his entire undergraduate career, he worked at the student newspaper, The Current, holding positions from science reporter to editor-in-chief.