Sissy quinn, executive administrator, anna maria island historical society

"Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of .living on water - green water. When I first saw the Gulf of Mexico, I knew that was it."

Sissy Quinn's dream has now come true. She and her husband Tom live happily among a houseful of charming antiques in a picturesque Anna Maria Island home across from the Bay. Former residents of Lancaster, PA, they bought their 1920 waterfront "cottage" in 1992 and moved here permanently in 1994. Tom, a .doctor, was tired of the demands of a solo .practice, and both he and Sissy wanted to live in a warmer climate.

After a busy life as a doctor's wife, raising two sons and building a successful career as an artist, Sissy thought she'd relax and enjoy the laid back pace of an island lifestyle, exhibiting her stained glass at the Artists' Guild of Anna Maria Island. Well, that was the plan anyway...

But this petite bundle of energy found a new mission in life the day she heard there was a position open at the Anna Maria Island Historical Society. There Sissy found a collection of buried treasures of Anna Maria's past, gathered and tended to by volunteers, that needed a fresh start to attract visitors.

"Many lifelong residents of Anna Maria had never been to the museum," she says.

Two years later, Sissy Quinn, now Executive Administrator of the Anna Maria Island Historical Society, has transformed Anna Maria Island's relics into a bustling attraction for residents and tourists alike.

Sissy, with the help of her friend Zoe VonAverkamp, restored Belle Haven Cottage, the former ice house that sat at the end of the pier until it fell in, to a real slice-of-life cottage where visitors can experience turn of the century island home life. Sissy and Zoe have worked tirelessly to make over the museum into beautiful displays of every aspect of the Island's past, from vintage restaurant menus to fishing gear to wartime clothing, and a gift shop full of .T-shirts, books on Island history, and vintage jewelry. The Historical Society used to depend entirely on donations, but Sissy has brought about corporate sponsorships and is working to establish a Benefactor's Fund for people who'd like to remember the Historical Society in their wills. Sissy, with the help of dedicated volunteers, plans and holds events throughout the year to raise money for the Historical Society. She's worked closely with the Anna Maria Chamber of Commerce, and is especially proud of the coveted historic marker awarded to the Historical Society last year from the Manatee County Historical Commission. And on any given day, you might find Sissy .manning the museum to cover for a docent with car trouble.

Even with all this activity, Sissy manages to enjoy her many friends, visits with her two granddaughters, as well as riding around the area with Tom in the Quinn's 1919 Model T Ford, which recently underwent its second full restoration. Tom, now a clinical associate professor at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine at Lakewood Ranch, has arranged for the couple to take a romantic 11-day cruise in July on the Delta Queen, one of the old paddle wheeler's final cruises, for their 43rd wedding anniversary and the 50th anniversary of their first date.

Sissy's enthusiasm for Anna Maria Island, the Historical Society, and life in general is infectious. "It's been an interesting and fun life so far," she says. "I have no regrets."

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Sissy's enthusiasm for Anna Maria Island, the Historical Society, .and life in general is infectious. "It's been an interesting and fun life so far," she says. "I have no regrets."