Gene Page, who loved people, loved Bradenton, and never met a stranger, dies at 82
William Eugene “Gene” Page III, a fixture along the sidelines of Manatee High School football games for 40 years, and a member of the family that owned the Bradenton Herald and the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer until 1975, died Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021, from complications of COVID-19. He was 82.
Gene Page, who was assistant publisher and comptroller of the Bradenton Herald until his family sold the newspaper to Knight Ridder, never got the printer’s ink out of his blood, and managed to keep his hand in the business as a photographer for the Herald and other newspapers for many years.
After the newspaper sale, Page opened a commercial photography business and was one of the first photographers on the scene when the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapsed in 1980 after being struck by the 19,734-ton Summit Venture freighter.
Later, he became a real estate broker and vice president of Scholfield Realty in Bradenton.
Bob Blalock became lifelong friends with Page after the two met as second graders on the playground at Ballard Elementary School. Blalock later served as his attorney.
“Gene was one of my absolute best friends. We were a month apart in age. I am so distraught over this thing,” Blalock said Wednesday. “He was a kind, sweet person. I will miss him as a friend.”
Wayne Poston, who served as executive editor of the Bradenton Herald for 25 years, and later as mayor of Bradenton for two decades, said Page deeply cared about Bradenton, youth sports, and Manatee High School football.
“He was a good person, a good man,” Poston said.
Gene Gallo, former Bradenton City Council member and former Bradenton fire chief, first met Page in high school. They remained life-long friends.
“We had been talking every two weeks on the phone, remembering the good, old days,” Gallo said this week. “He was like a brother. I am absolutely going to miss him. I am going to miss those conversations. There was always a lot of laughter — it is something we need more of these days. Not seeing him at Manatee High School football games is going to be strange.”
Gallo took note of the Delta variant that is sweeping the country and said it seems to be so much worse than the COVID-19 that first appeared in the United States in early 2020.
Jennifer Page Foster, one of Gene Page’s five children, said her father loved people and enjoyed seeing them do well.
“He never met a stranger. He was a humble man and had a humble spirit. He liked to fight for the under dog,” Foster said. “He never ran out of stories. He made friends throughout his life.”
Gene Page IV remembers that with his father’s wide circle of friends, going to the mall could be a challenge.
“We couldn’t go 10 or 15 feet without getting into a long conversation with someone,” he said.
Gene Page III was born on Jan. 5, 1939, in Columbus, Georgia, the only child of William Eugene Page Jr. and Martha Elizabeth (Hogan) Page. The family moved to Bradenton in 1946.
He had a paper route by the age of 9, was a Boy Scout and a member of the Manatee County High School golf team.
After graduating from Manatee High School in 1957, he attended Stetson University. He transferred to Florida State University and graduated in 1962, having represented both universities as a varsity golf athlete. He also attended Columbia University and the University of South Carolina for graduate studies in newspaper management and journalism.
He was a strong advocate for equality in women’s sports and in life. He coached his children in Little League baseball and softball and photographed games in locations around the United States. He continued to encourage them into their adult lives, in their careers and their experiences as wives, mothers, husbands, or fathers.
He was a deeply committed Christian, who, over the years, photographed untold numbers of baptisms, baby dedications, musicals, special presentations, youth functions, and community events.
Gene Page is survived by his wife of 47 years, Gina Ann (Romine) Page; his children: William Eugene Page IV (Kim), of Micanopy, Fla.; Edwin Robson Page (Natalee) of Roanoke, Va.; Jennifer Page Foster (Chris), of Auburn, Ala.; Kelly Page Powell (Justin), of Bradenton; and Michael Cory Page (Sarah), of Bradenton; 12 grandchildren: William Eugene Page V (Ana), Carter Elizabeth Page, Madeleine Elise Foster, Ella Katherine Foster, Maisie Waters Page, Owen Waters Page, Anna Caroline Foster, Paxton Thomas Powell, Presley Elizabeth Powell, Cory O’Connor Page, Henley Van Page, and Finten William Page.
A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, at First Baptist Church of Palmetto, 1021 Fifth St. W., with visitation beginning at 10:30 a.m. The service will be available online at https://livestream.com/fbcpalmetto/specialevents. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Guardian Angels of Southwest Florida or First Baptist Church of Palmetto.
Arrangements are by Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory. Condolences may be made to www.brownandsonsfuneral.com.
This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 2:41 PM.
