Candidate Charlie Hicks

MAYOR FOR A DAY CONTEST: CANDIDATE #1


Englewood, FL – Charlie W. Hicks was born in Lakeland, Florida in 1940. In Kathleen, a nearby town, he attended one of the many “strawberry schools” in the area that closed for vacation the months of January, February and March so the students we available to pick strawberries without missing school.

The Hicks family – dad, mom and three boys – moved to Englewood in 1947. Dad, Wiley, became a commercial fisherman who went on to develop Hick’s Marina in the mid-1950s. The family enlarged the facility in the 60s and today, it’s known as Stump Pass Marina.

Charlie graduated from Venice High School, enduring long daily bus rides in the days before Englewood was blessed with Lemon Bay High School. In 1958, following graduation, he joined the Army; upon exit in 1961, Charlie went on to a distinguished 31-year career with Delta Airlines.

He and his wife, Kathy, were drawn back to the area by his Englewood roots in 1999 and immediately got involved in the community. He is a long time member and President of the Lemon Bay Historical Society. As a member of the Englewood United Methodist Church, Charlie is best known for coordinating the volunteers who make the $6 Wednesday night dinners so successful. He is also a member of the Secret Society of Smoke Mullets - a group that recognizes individuals who contribute to the community.

Charlie’s charity of choice is the Lemon Bay Historical Society, Inc. whose current project is to move the Historic Green Street Church Museum to a forever home adjacent to the Lemon Bay Cemetery. At an estimated cost of $187,000, this move will ensure the 1928 building remains a community asset.