Remembering Those Who Have Supported Our Mission
At Loggerhead Marinelife Center we have had the good fortune of having many amazing champions of our mission throughout the years. From volunteers and staff, to donors, board members and more that we have lost, we are dedicating this small piece of our website in their memory. We could not achieve and further our mission with the dedication of these men and women. Never forgotten, always in our hearts.
Barbara Ann (Seiple) Savastano - 1954-2022
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A longtime resident of Ironhorse in Palm Beach Gardens, Barbara was well known and loved. Due to her dedication to turtle life and conservation, Barbara volunteered for 15 years at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, where she was volunteer of the year in 2016 and has been a part of the leadership circle since 2015. She was also a Blue Friends co-founder, cleanup volunteer and long-term Circle 100 member; she was devoted to protecting the turtles and their habitat.
Her greatest love, however, was family and friends. She enjoyed time with her son Anthony Savastano, grandson Tyler Savastano, step-grandson Randy Savastano, granddaughter Samantha Savastano, and her longtime partner Ernie, who she lovingly called Ernesto.
Earl W. Osborne - 1953-2022
Earl volunteered at LMC from May 2016 - May 2022. He was an Education Docent who loved to lead tours! He would talk about the importance of protecting our reefs and keeping trash out of the ocean. In 2017, his cancer had returned and metastasized in his liver after being cancer-free for 8 years. Earl enjoyed playing golf and tennis, building rockets, repairing and running O gauge trains.
His happy place was sailing in The Keys on his 27’ compact sailboat with his wife, Sue, who is also a volunteer at LMC. Whether it was an afternoon or several days at a time, he loved the sound of wind in the sails and being on the water. He was a retired CEO and President of a consumer finance company in Ohio. He always held honesty and integrity above all else. He wanted to give back to his community and LMC was a good fit with his passions. He will be greatly missed. Read More >
Susan Diane Schenk - 1955-2021
Susan was an employee at Loggerhead Marinelife Center from 1994 to 2004. With Susan's passing on July 27, 2021, she is survived by her loving family which includes her husband Michael, and their children; Angie and her spouse Steve Lander and Nicholas and his spouse Katrina.
“She absolutely loved LMC, known as the Marinelife Center of Juno Beach back then. Susan created the JMB summer camp program as well as developed curriculum for the campers. People would line up on February 1st to register for the summer camp. It would sell out in a day. She loved shells, and kids. She loved educating and she loved our founder, Eleanor Fletcher, and always cared about LMC.” Said Kate Fratalia, LMC Director of Retail Operations.
Carroll (Roy) Snyder - 1943-2020
On Thursday, December 3, Carroll Roy Snyder, loving husband of Susan Boyle Snyder, passed away at age 77 in Jupiter, Florida.
Roy and Sue were married for 50 years and lived a life of shared adventure, love and commitment to each other and dedication to the preservation of the environment. He volunteered many hours in support of the Audubon Society’s Everglades Day. He also enjoyed his work as a docent at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center. Roy loved spending time in nature and bird watching was his passion.
Roy was a dedicated volunteer at Loggerhead Marinelife Center, spending 15 years greeting and educating guests on our important mission. Roy was also a member of the Center's Blue Friends Society and will greatly missed by all that knew him.
Frank Harris - 1925-2020
Frank William Harris, Jr., age 95, of Jupiter, FL, passed away peacefully at home on October 25, 2020. A pillar of strength and support in our South Florida community, Frank Harris led a life dedicated to service. After moving to Juno Beach in 1986, Frank became active in local affairs and lent a hand wherever he was needed.
A longtime LMC volunteer, Frank was also one of the most dedicated LMC Board Members. Most notably, he worked tirelessly to create and manage LMC’s first capital expansion helping LMC become a leading authority in sea turtle rehabilitation and conservation. Thanks to his efforts, we’ve welcomed and inspired millions of guests and students who have visited LMC since opening our facility in 2007.
A passionate diplomat, Frank continued to help advance our mission throughout his years of service.
Coley Burke - 1941-2020
Coleman P. Burke, respected and revered by many, died peacefully at his home in Bedford, New York on November 8, 2020.
In the spring of 2018, one of our volunteers, Steve Schwartz, welcomed Coley Burke and his wife Susan to our campus for a tour of our Sea Turtle Hospital. As Coley watched a patient being treated, he embraced our mission right away. Thanks to his long involvement with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, he understood the importance of LMC’s work in rehabilitating sea turtles and in keeping our oceans healthy. He loved learning that LMC treats patients and returns them to their natural habitat. He took time to understand and support our scientific innovations to save sea turtles.
Coley and Susan helped fuel our campus expansion and fund the sea turtle hospital. They visited our Center often with visitors in tow. Read More >
Ann Miller - 1930-2019
Annette Yaffey Miller passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 2, 2019 at home with her family. For many decades, Ann was part of LMC's journey and progress as one of our most enthusiastic supporters, mentors, and leaders. Ann was a life long educator and was responsible for working with LMC's Board to take us from our humble beginnings to where we are today.
While we have lost a major family member in the history of our Center, Ann's legacy will live on through all of us, and through our mission which she deeply loved.
Ann's Legacy to our Center and to our Community will be remembered by a beautiful education exhibit fountain within our new expansion - a fountain that Ann personally designed.
Bitasta (Vitti) Chaturvedi
Bitasta “Vitti” Chaturvedi, a devoted and beloved LMC volunteer who started at the Center in August 2010. Vitti generously donated over 700 hours of her time in the seven years she spent at LMC, helping the Development and Marketing Departments with administrative tasks, adoptions, event registration and more.
Vitti was passionate and offered a lot of wonderful ideas to help the center grow. Outside of LMC, she was a highly involved volunteer in all of her daughter's schools as the treasurer of the PTO for several years and was a devoted and loving wife and mother. Vitti was a well-traveled individual who loved talking about her trips and food from all over the world. Vitti will be truly missed by all who knew her.
Kenny Cendejas - 1970-2017
Kenneth Leeroy Cendejas, of West Palm Beach, Florida, passed away on Thursday, July 18th, 2017. He was 47 years old.
Kenny was always smiling as he walked through the breezeway, shouting ‘what’s up brother’ to staff, volunteers, and guests. He was an instrumental member of the operations team since starting at LMC in 2014.
Dr. Jack E. Lighton - 1938-2016
Dr. Jack E. Lighton, of Jupiter Island, Florida, passed away suddenly on Thursday, February 4th, 2016. He was 77 years old.
Dr. Lighton was the acting President of the Beach Road Association of Jupiter Island, a member of the Maltz Jupiter Theater, supported veterans, advocated for autism, and was a member of Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s Circle of 100.
Dr. Lighton’s love for life was apparent by all who met him. He took great joy in relaxing with his dog “Captain” while gazing out at the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, cherishing each sunrise and sunset; often capturing stunning images of earth’s magical beauty which he shared with those he loved.
Loggerhead Marinelife Center has set up the Dr. Jack E. Lighton Science & Technology Fund, a fund designed to support the center’s sea turtle hospital and the procurement of the latest technology. Loggerhead Marinelife Center can be reached online at www.marinelife.org or via phone: 561-627-8280 extension 103. Read More >
Suzanne (Suzy) Thompson - 1943-2016
Mrs. Thompson was born on August 16, 1943 in Hartford, Connecticut to the late John Peter Kasavage and Julia Padelskas Kasavage.
In her retirement years Suzanne became involved with the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida. There she welcomed guests and explained how the center was a hospital exclusively dedicated to the rehabilitation and preservation of the various species of injured sea turtles that frequent Florida’s eastern shore.
Susan Beam - 1954-2017
Susan B. Beam, 62, passed away on 16 February 2017 after a long illness.
Susan attended and enjoyed the fellowship of the First Methodist Church of Jupiter. Susan loved Florida and its beaches, she was never happier than sitting on the dock sipping a glass of wine watching sunset.
She loved the Jupiter community and was delighted to come back home when she retired. She volunteered at causes dear to her heart, for example: Loggerhead Marinelife Center, and tutoring children in math at a local Elementary School.
Eleanor Fletcher - 1917-2009
Our beloved founder and champion for sea turtle and ocean conservation.
Eleanor Fletcher, known for decades around Palm Beach County as 'The Turtle Lady of Juno Beach,' died March 3 at the age of 92. A self-taught turtle expert who founded the Marinelife Center at Loggerhead Park, Fletcher for some 40 years championed efforts to save the loggerhead, leatherback and green turtles.
Since 1969, Fletcher scoured Juno's beaches, chasing away poachers and counting turtle nests. Fletcher at one time ran the center out of her apartment, displaying marine specimens and giving tours to school children until she founded the Children's Museum, now know as the Marinelife Center.