- January 8, 2025
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Jean Flanigan’s family wanted her memory to live on by allowing others to experience the thing she loved the most: Longboat Key.
On Jan. 1, members of Jean Flanigan’s family presented the Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department with two beach wheelchairs, which can also float. These chairs make the beach accessible to elderly and disabled individuals.
Jean Flanigan lived in Windward Bay when she was younger and visited frequently after she and her husband, Harry, grew their family.
“This was Jean’s happy place,” said Longboat Key Firefighter Brian Kolesa, who married into the Flanigan family. “Even in her later years in life, she always wanted to come here.”
Jean Flanigan, Kolesa’s grandmother-in-law, died in 2024, and her obituary mentions her love for the island.
“Jean's greatest joy was sitting in her chair on the beach in Longboat Key, soaking up the sunshine, then taking a relaxing swim in the Gulf. If there was a boat going for a pleasure ride, she was the first to claim her rights to the best seat. Her adventurous nature enjoyed all that life had to offer,” the obituary said.
Jean and Harry’s grandson, Kevin Murphy, owns and operates Ocean Cure, a nonprofit based in North Carolina. Ocean Cure enhances beach accessibility for people with disabilities.
“There is no beach that we cannot make accessible. And we want to make sure that our participants leave understanding that there is no obstacle that they cannot overcome,” Ocean Cure’s website states.
When thinking of a way to honor Jean Flanigan, Murphy and the family decided to donate two of Murphy’s accessible beach chairs to Longboat Key. This way, everyone could enjoy Longboat Key’s special beaches as Jean Flanigan did all her life.
Kolesa led to the connection to the fire rescue department, which has the means to spread the word to the community and make sure the chairs are well-utilized, he said.
“They wanted to give that opportunity to other people since it was her happy place,” Kolesa said.
The two new beach wheelchairs — plus one the department already had — are furnished a week at a time. If anyone needs to extend past a week, they can do so as long as no one is on the waiting list, Fire Administration Manager and Public Information Officer Tina Adams said.
To borrow the chairs, a $20 deposit and signed waiver is required.
Now, the department has three beach wheelchairs, but the new ones are more “state-of-the-art,” said Adams. These are foldable and compact, which makes them easier to transport and fit into a car.
The department also has a few life jackets of varying sizes if visitors need those.
Anyone who wants more information about the chairs or wants to check them out can do so by calling the fire rescue department at 941-316-1944 or stopping by Fire Station 91 (5490 Gulf of Mexico Drive) Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
