The story of Bob and Vera Lindabury begins in New Brunswick, Canada. Bob served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. He graduated from University of Guelph (Ontario Agriculture College) in 1949 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture where he met Vera. He accepted a position with an agricultural firm and relocated to Philadelphia which directed him to a stint in Ft. Myers as part of a training program for Immokalee growers during the winters of 1953-1954.   That's when they decided SWFL was an area they'd like to move to and raise their family.  

While in Ft. Myers, Bob met a gentleman named Oscar Corbin who would become his business partner on a handshake deal.  Corbin-Lindabury Farm and Garden Center was formed to sell feed and farm/agricultural supplies which at the time were in demand as Naples was very rural.  As Naples continued to develop, the business transitioned more toward a boutique garden center to accommodate the changes and growth that were happening in Naples.   For those that have lived here for a while, you may know the current tenant as Whitman Designs off of 10th Street.  

 

1955 brought them to Naples where they rented a home for 1 year before moving into one of eight starter homes being built on 10th Street in Lake Park.  The family spent 8 wonderful years with lots of fond memories of the children and young families getting started in the neighborhood of Lake Park.  There were enough children to make 2 ball teams back then which is astonishing for such a small community!  Airconditioning was a luxury they did not yet have at the home or office so summers were sticky and full of mosquitoes.  They became citizens as soon as they were eligible after 5 years of living in Florida and haven't looked back.

  

Harbour Drive was just a shell of a road (literally... sea shells were the base of the road) when Bob and Vera Lindabury saw an ad in the newspaper about a pre-development project in The Moorings in 1962.  Milton Link was taking great care in developing The Moorings project so as to protect as much of the landscape as possible while selling plots of land.  Milton was a landscape architect and land planner who had the vision to tame this sector of land just enough for the development of what would become one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Naples.  Bob and Vera hopped into the jeep of their closest friend, John R.  Wood (who moved here in 1957)  to explore the territory.  It truly was an explorative trip in that Jeep.  So much so that John said they oughta call it "Hardly Drive" instead of Harbour Drive.  And that my friends, was the start of a 60-year love affair with The Moorings.  Their love for nature and farm life never waned and they felt right at home in the surroundings of their new home on Harbour Drive.   Friends asked them why they were moving so far out in the boondocks.  Can you imagine, moving from 10th Street in Lake Park to The Moorings was considered so far out of town! 

In contrast, Vera remembers Coquina Sand being absolutely leveled to make way for development and Park Shore wasn't even a thought when they moved to The Moorings.  Vera still has an appreciation for the flora and fauna of The Moorings to this day. One of the main reasons they chose the plot they did was because of the large pine tree on the property.   As a matter of fact, they revamped the plans for the home to accommodate the pine tree.  The large oak trees on the property also played a role in the fond memories of their home.  You can see one of them in the family photo.

I had a friend who had an extended Jeep which would hold several of us teenagers and we would head to the beach over the unfinished Harbour Drive bridge. We would have beach parties and were the only people North of Doctor's Pass.  It was fun to walk out to the muddy bay and sink up to our necks then head to the Gulf to wash off.

One of my favorite memories was buying a go-cart that had a lawnmower engine on it.  I enjoyed riding around the neighborhood with very few cars and sand on either side of the roads.  The biggest problem was dogs, as they would chase me sometimes and could go faster than me!  I spent many hours working on it with my friend, Bob Rosier, as we added a roll bar at Naples Steel Co. and later a Honda 90 engine.  There was a Gulf station on the North side of Harbour Dr. and 41.  After business hours, the owner would allow us to drive around the gas pumps which was a lot of fun.

I enjoyed practicing baseball in our backyard and on the golf courses while it was being constructed at this time.

Work involved mowing our lawn and a couple of neighbors' lawns.  I helped to build out the landscape Dad designed by constructing a dry river bed out of egg rock in the backyard, sodding, and installing plants.  I was also working in the family garden center.  

Daughter Janet was 6 years old when the family moved to The Moorings.  Remember the lemonade story from last month's issue?  Well, Janet was a very clever pioneer in the lemonade stand industry.  She and her friend set up shop in the backyard where it backed up to the greens of the Moorings Golf and Country Club and sold lemonade to thirsty golfers for 25 cents! Sometimes they would find golf balls and offer those as well.  

Janet also recalls the median in front of the house did not have curbs yet.  It had trees and grass so it was the perfect spot for larger gatherings for parking as it could easily be driven upon without the curbs.  

"They were free to make their own fun. Happy, easy times for kids." - Vera

Simple, fun gatherings were the norm back then.  Potluck, AKA "covered dish",  dinners with John and Wanda Wood and other couples were the heart of friendship back then.  One of the family's favorite traditions began at Thanksgiving in 1996. What started out on New Year's Eve as burning Christmas tree branches to let the year go eventually led Vera to think it would be nice if everyone would share what they are grateful for at Thanksgiving while dropping a pinecone into the firepot.  This became the tradition for the next 25 years!  Grandson, Justin, continues the tradition, and Janet's son, Kevin has only ever known this very meaningful tradition so it's safe to say the legacy will continue on.   

Lakepark Elementary and Gulfview Middle were established and handled all grades until Naples High was completed.  Janet was eventually re-zoned to Seagate Elementary and Paul was one of the first classes at Naples High.  When the Lindabury's purchased the lot in 1962 before building began, Publix had just recently opened but Coastland Mall was not even a thought yet.   

As Vera who is now 92 years young reflects on history, she recalls a time when they were living on 10th Street during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Russians were setting up missiles in Cuba 90 miles away.  Vera was having flashbacks about 3 or 4 years ago that we were experiencing the same kind of risk and feels we need to honor our freedom and democracy and have a strong inner-core, strong family, strong city and a strong country.   She spent time talking with Cuban people who have suffered and still suffer.  As she aged, she always thought to herself she doesn't want to assume .."Oh it's going to be the way it used to be...always to be open to the evolution of ourselves and our city. I just think that even though the houses are a bit over-sized, we still need beauty and order and there certainly is beauty and order in The Moorings."

As I was researching more about the family history, I discovered fascinating historical tidbits about Bob.  This next paragraph was borrowed from the family's tribute to Bob.  ~Following the sale of the business to Bob and Vera’s son, Paul, and his business partners, Bob taught horticulture at the newly opened Lorenzo Walker Vocational School. Bob’s horticulture class landscaped the new school, which inspired other Collier County schools to request plants from Bob’s horticulture class to beautify their buildings. Bob was delighted that his appreciation of plants was being perpetuated. Bob also served 24 years as a Mosquito Control Commissioner, during which time aerial spraying replaced the “Jeep Fogger.” After Bob’s retirement, he continued to share his love of agriculture by serving as a Master Gardener with the Collier County Extension Office.

Bob and Vera were married in 1950 until he passed away in 2018.  Nearly 68 years together and many happy memories.  Thank you for the legacy Bob and Vera.   Naples is a beautiful place because of folks like you!