Building heritage

Larry Cappleman, a Winter Garden native and third-generation resident and businessman, was honored Thursday, Nov. 19, as a Heritage Builder by the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation.

Mayor John Rees read and presented a proclamation to Cappleman, who attended the ceremony with his wife, two sons and several grandchildren.

Rees, also a lifelong resident, said, “We are blessed to have Larry Cappleman here in our community.”

After accepting the proclamation, Cappleman said: “This is quite an honor. It’s a privilege to be part of something as special as Winter Garden.”

Previous honorees:

Herbert Pounds; Jack Ross; Albert Gleason, M.D.; Bert and Barbara Roper; Larry and Harriette Grimes; the King family; Jerry and Sue Chicone and Kay Chicone Ustler; Hollis Holden; Ann Ellis; Paul Lewis; and Ward Britt, John Murphy and Ron Sikes.

Cappleman’s grandfather, William Cappleman, and William’s brother, Thurlow, arrived in Winter Garden in 1912 to open a Plant Street grocery store. William and Ethel had two sons, Franklin and Eugene. After both served in World War II, Franklin opened Cappleman Insurance Agency in 1946. Gene helped his father run the grocery store until 1953, when they sold the store to Johnny Griffin.

Gene (Larry’s father) then entered the insurance business with Franklin. Larry joined his father and uncle in the insurance company in 1972 and took ownership upon the death of Uncle Franklin. He sold the business to American Phoenix Corporation in 1995 and went to work for the company in Orlando for two years before returning to Winter Garden as an insurance salesperson for Hillcrest in 1997. Larry and Kevin McEwen bought Hillcrest in 1999.

He has served on numerous boards, including several banks, the Roper YMCA, Main Street Winter Garden; the advisory committee of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, which provided a large part of the funding for the redesign of downtown; and the Winter Garden Merchant Association.

He was also instrumental in the construction of the YMCA in West Orange County. He got Mary V. Tanner to donate the land for the Y. This land was later swapped with a parcel owned by Bert Roper so the new Y building would be on the road that was traveled by many from Windermere to Winter Garden.

Contact Amy Quesinberry Rhode at [email protected].