Anna Maria's The Studio at Gulf and Pine hosts live stream of Rhea Chiles' funeral services
ANNA MARIA -- A crowd gathered inside Faith Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee to remember Former Florida First Lady Rhea Grafton Chiles.
The wife of former Gov. Lawton Chiles died Nov. 8 at age 84 at her home on Anna Maria Island. Her funeral service held late Monday morning was colored with song, prayer and touching stories from the Chiles family.
More than 320 miles away on Anna Maria Island, a much smaller group gathered in a dark room at The Studio at Gulf and Pine, 10101 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, which is owned by the Chiles family. Before them was a live stream of funeral services for Rhea Chiles projected on a screen.
About 30 people went to the gallery space to watch the live stream, which has since been archived at TheFloridaChannel.org.
Tommy Fagen, who manages The Studio at Gulf and Pine with his wife Julie Fagen, said the Chiles family wanted to show a live stream of the service at the facility for those on the island who were unable to attend the service at the state's capital.
"Rhea would be happy the way the gallery's been going and all that she's done in her life," he said. "She created a great art and cultural center here and I've been fortunate to work with her for the past seven years -- my wife and I."
Fagen described Mrs. Chiles as an innovator who was ahead of others in what she did, including the founding of the Florida House in 1972 -- an embassy for Floridians in Washington, D.C.
"It's been coming. She's been sick for several months now and the family was able to be there for her at the end of her life," Fagen said, his somber eyes staring ahead. "You can't ask for more. She had a full and wonderful life. She told me that she was ready."
According to the curator, Mr. Chiles wanted to be with her late husband.
"That's where she wanted to be, and she's definitely there now," he said.
Nearby, a portrait of a smiling Rhea Chiles, a lit candle and two small vases filled with flowers were arranged neatly on a wooden table.
A red leather notebook lay before the portrait, with handwritten condolences and memories tucked inside. "The finest lady I ever had the pleasure to work for!" read one message. Another said the former Florida First Lady was "simply the best."
Manatee Circuit Judge Gilbert Smith Jr. was among those who viewed the live stream at the studio. As he sat at a round table in the gallery space, Smith spoke about the close ties between the Chiles family and his own family. The judge said he's been good friends with Mrs. Chiles' son, Ed Chiles, the head of the Chiles Restaurant Group., for quite a long time.
"Rhea Chiles was such a talented lady. You can see that talent through the success of her children in so many ways," Smith said. "Because she had so many children and now grandchildren and great-grandchildren with so many talents, you can see that and, of course, we saw some of it in the service today -- that some of the granddaughters performing and singing are talented."
Smith lifted his left hand up, describing The Studio at Gulf and Pine as a great contribution to the 7-mile barrier island.
"It really does give a place where the island and their talented artists can show their works and so forth," he added. "Rhea was really an inspiration for so much of this."
Julie Fagen, 64, said it was an honor to work for Rhea Chiles.
"Her friendship with Tommy and I means so much to us," she said. "We can't possibly explain how much she really did mean to us and how much we learned from her."
Amaris Castillo, law enforcement/island reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7051. Follow her on Twitter@AmarisCastillo.
This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 3:44 PM with the headline "Anna Maria's The Studio at Gulf and Pine hosts live stream of Rhea Chiles' funeral services ."