Fruitland Park commissioners paid their respects Thursday night to a beloved resident who died tragically on Interstate 75 recently.
The commission unanimously approved a proclamation honoring 79-year-old Dave Edward Boose, who died in the early morning hours of Feb. 15 when he was struck by a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 22-year-old Abigail Carroll of Clinton, N.J., a Florida Highway Patrol report states.
Boose had been driving a truck that apparently broke down and he was either trying to exit the vehicle or fix it when he was hit, his daughter, Mercedes Shavonne Fluitt, said recently.
The proclamation officially declared Feb. 28 as “David Boose Day.” It pointed out that Boose was much loved by his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brothers, sisters, and friends; revered by his church members; and admired by the city, its residents and visitors. And it cited Boose’s kind gestures to welcome visitors and strangers alike to the city on a daily basis.
“He was adored by many and will be sorely missed,” the proclamation reads.
Boose, who moved to Florida in 1957 and spent many years working as a concrete finisher at Bay to Bay Construction, clearly touched the lives of many Fruitland Park residents. He regularly could be found at the corner of Dixie Avenue and Berckman Street, sitting on his black bicycle and waving at every vehicle that drove by.
Boose, who lived on Griffin Street and was known as “Mr. Squeaker” for honking his bike horn as a friendly greeting, was remembered by hundreds of Facebook users within hours of his death. And several Fruitland Park residents also stopped by his house to offer their condolences to his family members.
“He’s a celebrity,” said Fluitt, of Inverness, when recalling her father. “I didn’t know he was one but obviously Fruitland Park loves him. I appreciate that more than they’ll ever know.”
Fluitt added that those who posted positive comments about her father also will never know how much they have meant to her and her family.
“One really stuck with me and it said that my dad was a light in this community,” she said. “I’ve read that one so many times because it is the truth.”
Boose’s bike now sits at the corner of Dixie and Berckman as a memorial to the man who meant so much to so many. Fluitt said her father would have appreciated all the kind comments, though he would never have expected them.
“He was just who he is and it wasn’t for recognition,” she said. “He was just Dave, Mr. Squeaker, the Music Man and Can Man. But he’s my hero – he’s my daddy.”
Fruitland Park Mayor Chris Cheshire said Boose will be missed.
“Going past that corner of Berckman Street and Dixie Avenue won’t be the same without him there waving,” Cheshire said. “It’s people like Mr. Boose who add character and a sense of community to our city.”
A viewing/wake was held for Boose on Feb. 22 at Anderson-Hence Funeral Home in Wildwood and he was laid to rest the next day at Mount Ararat Baptist Church in Leesburg.
