To the Editor:
I really appreciated the June edition of
Tropical Breeze with the wonderful tribute to my lifelong friend,
Claude Rigsby. Yes, Claude was “Mr. Safety Harbor.”
As you know, I grew up in Safety Harbor
with Claude and Clyde. They were just a few months older. We went
through school together. After the war, they returned to Safety
Harbor. I had married and moved to Maine, but Claude always kept me
informed of my hometown “news,” first through my
brother, J.W. Campbell, they after J.W.’s death, Claude
personally called or mailed me the news (and/or) gossip of our
beloved town.
My grandfather, George W. Campbell, was
the first Mayor of Safety Harbor; my cousin, Paul McElveen,
followed in grandfather’s footsteps as Mayor and my lifetime
friend, Claude Rigsby, who seemed like family, served several terms
as Mayor. Yes, we always felt that we had so much in common
— 82 years of friendship and the love of Safety
Harbor.
Claude personally saw that all the Mayors
of the city were not forgotten by obtaining and hanging their
pictures in City Hall for posterity. May a special tribute, along
with his pictures, be made to honor and remember H. Claude
Rigsby.
I’m so thankful that I was able to
visit Claude and Joanne several times when I was there in April. My
first and last day in Florida was quality time, he was either
reminiscing, telling stories of the past or picking my brain for
names, etc. that he could not remember.
Yes, my last visit was special for 12 days
later my friend, Claude, passed away. May the peace of God be with
his family.
Joyce C. Johnson
Bucksport, Maine
P.S. I’m so glad I took pictures
last year of my Grandma Campbell’s home as it was torn down
for library parking. Also note, “Farewell To A
Forefather” gave Claude’s father’s name as Homer.
His father was Herman. Homer was his uncle, his father’s
twin.
Front Page 
Op-Ed 
