Manatee Sheriff’s Office ‘devastated’ by passing of long-time spokesman

He was the face of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the voice of Manatee High School football, a loving husband and father and to many a friend.

On Monday morning, the sheriff’s office was in shock and devastated as they mourned the loss of their long-time spokesman, Dave Bristow. He was 59.

Bristow, who was the sheriff’s office public information officer, died Sunday night of natural causes, the sheriff’s office announced.

“We are devastated and we are trying to work through this as best we can,” Sheriff Rick Wells said. “This is a huge loss for all of us in this community. We will never be the same.”

That loss sent shock waves through the community on Monday.

“Dave is so much more than the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office,” Wells said. “Even though he worked for three sheriffs, Dave really was the face of the sheriff’s office.”

Those who knew Bristow, knew his love for his wife of 35 years, Lisa Kipp Bristow, their daughters Courtney and Cara Bristow, and the family of four’s love for University of Florida and Manatee High football.

Many, in fact, knew Bristow as the radio play-by-play announcer for Manatee High football since 1985.

Manatee Football posted to Facebook on Monday, “It is with great regret that we announce the passing of longtime Hurricane Radio Announcer and the ‘Voice of the Hurricanes,’ Dave Bristow... His family is in our thought and prayers, we will post more information as it becomes available. We will miss Dave dearly as he was and is a huge part of the MANATEE FOOTBALL program ....in the words of Dave ‘Till Next Time, So long everyone.’”

“Almost like a brother,” is how Bradenton City councilman and fellow Manatee High football radio broadcaster since 1989 Gene Brown described his friendship with Bristow.

More than just time at football games, Brown and Bristow spent countless hours and miles together traveling the country coaching their daughters’ softball games — Bristow as head coach and Brown his assistant.

Brown said during those years, he and Bristow spent more time together than with their families between softball practices and games and football game broadcasts as well as live shows on Wednesday nights from Joey D’s.

But in more than 30 years of broadcasting Manatee football, Brown said Bristow only missed one game. And in that spirit, the show, Brown said, must go on Wednesday night. It would be important to Bristow, he said, that the work continue.

“Dave would not want us to not do it,” Brown said.

It was Bristow’s professionalism, he said, that made the broadcast.

“He really loved it,” Brown said.

Bristow, who would have been 60 next month, was hired by former Sheriff Charlie Wells in 1987.

“I loved that boy,” the elder Wells said.

Before being hired by the former sheriff, Bristow had been a television reporter for WWSB, former channel 40 that is today’s ABC 7 Suncoast, in Sarasota. Bristow expressed interest in being the sheriff’s office public information officer. Wells thought he would be a natural at it, he said, as he turned out to be.

Hiring Bristow was his best move as sheriff, he said.

But Bristow had been more than just an employee to Wells, and it was the loss of his friend that brought him to tears on Monday.

“I would walk into his office, especially when I was burdened with something, and we would talk things out and I would feel better,” Wells said.

Their families had grown close over the years, and the younger Wells also considered Bristow a “fierce friend.”

“It’s going to be very difficult coming to work knowing he’s not here,” the sheriff said. “I truly loved him and his family. We have watched his daughters grow up.”

Wells and the sheriff’s office have rallied around the Bristow family.

“Dave was an awesome person and somebody that I am honored to have had the chance to be around most of my adult life,” the younger Wells said. “I will never forget what he has done for the sheriff’s office, my family and this community.”

Many law enforcement officers don’t understand the press, he explained, but Bristow did. Proof that he was great at his job was the disbelief and profound sadness expressed by the reporters who dealt with him on a daily basis, including those at the Bradenton Herald.

Former sheriff Brad Steube and Bristow would frequently cross paths in the sheriff’s office workout room, he recalled Monday.

“He and I had a number of discussions in the workout room,” Steube said. “This would be every other day. We also played basketball at least once a week.”

Bristow’s dedication to fitness and healthy eating is why his sudden death surprised so many, including Steube.

How entrenched Bristow and his wife have been to the community made him a better spokesman and also made the sheriff’s job easier, he said.

“Dave was the guy who knew his job well, knew how to talk to and interact with not only the press, but people in the community,” Steube said. “He was my go-to-guy when we had information that needed to be released to the press.”

The irony was that the news of Bristow’s death came on a morning filled with breaking news.

“Dave would find it funny,” assistant public information officer Randy Warren said.

It was a long-standing joke between the two colleagues as well as between Warren and reporters that major breaking news always seemed to occur when Bristow took time off.

“I know he’s looking down and saying, ‘Warren, get to work.’ ”

True to form, it was Warren who was tasked with releasing the official news of Bristow’s death on Monday.

“Please pray for his family and the Sheriff’s Office family as we deal with this,” Warren wrote in the news release.

This story was originally published September 24, 2018 at 9:42 AM.