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Hospital History
DeSear points out that Manatee Memorial Hospital was conceived
and founded by women. “In the mid to late 40s, that was unique,”
he says. “It was during the war, and they realized when the war
was over, all these injured servicemen would be coming back
to the local facility, which was very small. These ladies formed
an auxiliary called the Women’s Auxiliary of Manatee Veterans
Memorial, and they started raising money to build a hospital.”
As the Auxiliary gained momentum, more and more local
businesses and investors got involved. The Manatee Memorial
instrumental in helping to raise the war bonds and the money
to build the hospital,” DeSear says. “They did everything they
could to make sure these people would have a local facility to
take care of the injured. That’s how we came to be.”
The Women’s Auxiliary of Manatee Veterans Memorial remained
intact until the mid to late 70s, when men started volunteering as
well. “Then in the early 90s, auxiliaries grew and became more
involved in the operations of the hospital,” DeSear recalls. “It was
often retired nurses and doctors who started volunteering. The
auxiliary grew in numbers, but liability became an issue. So, we
formed the Foundation in 1992. However, we kept the auxiliary
function in that they still wanted to do projects and things that
In 1992, DeSear, along with Barbara LaChapelle and Jack
Rynerson, helped to form the Manatee Memorial Foundation.
Today, the Foundation is run by 17 board members.
• To learn more about the Manatee Memorial Foundation
or to donate, visit www.ManateeMemorial.com/about/
manatee-memorial-foundation or call 941-746-5111.
2018 MANATEE MEMORIAL
FOUNDATION OFFICERS
Chairman – Richard Gross
Vice Chair – Bruce Body
Secretary – Carolyn Richardson
Treasurer – Bill Freije
Executive Director – Vernon DeSear
Immediate Past Chair – Mark Goodson
DIRECTORS:
Beverly Dietsch
Pat Ellis
Janelle Esposito
Henrietta Larson
Connie Lesser
Sandra Levesque
Joe Miller
Bud Parent
Bob Revels
Jack Rynerson
Bob Spencer
Nancy Stolle
Don Zirkelbach