Project spokeswoman died in crash days before Fort Hamer Bridge opening

The death of Trudy Gerena, the “face of the Fort Hamer Bridge project,” mere days before the opening of the bridge, cast a pall over the bridge’s official opening on Wednesday.

Gerena, 53, and her husband Steven, 50, of Brandon died in a motorcycle crash Saturday in New Port Richey, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Ron Schulhofer, director of public works, paid tribute to Gerena in his opening remarks Wednesday at the bridge.

“I‘ve got to take just a moment and let you know that for many of us this is a bittersweet moment,” Schulhofer said. “Trudy was taken from us Saturday night in a horrific motorcycle accident. I can say for staff that no kinder or gentler person have we ever known. She was a person who could take a hornet’s nest and turn it into a flock of butterflies. We’re going to miss her. I’m going to miss my friend.”

Gerena arranged regular briefings on-site for members of the press, putting on her construction vest, and hard hat to climb over scaffolding as she patiently explained the engineering process and construction progress. She was also spokeswoman for a number of other notable Manatee County construction projects, including the diverging diamond at University Parkway and Interstate 75 and the 44th Avenue East extension.

Barbara Zellmer, Gerena’s sister-in-law, and Valerie Ciudad-Real, president of Valerin Group, attended the ribbon cutting. Zellmer came to video the ceremony for the five grown children the Gerenas left behind.

Both Zellmer and Ciudad-Real said that they felt Trudy’s presence at the bridge.

“I feel like she is guiding me through this,” Zellmer said.

Ciudad-Real called Gerena her best friend.

“Everyone she touched came away with something special,” Ciudad-Real said.

This story was originally published October 18, 2017 at 11:05 AM with the headline "Project spokeswoman died in crash days before Fort Hamer Bridge opening."