Rosse descendant returns to Captiva
Running through the heart of the island, the main thoroughfare, is Andy Rosse Lane, home to many Captiva homes and businesses and a key attraction for visitors from all around the globe.
The grandson of Andy Rosse, Ronald Rosse, returned to Captiva not too long ago and is now working at ‘Tween Waters Inn.
Rosse said last week that he and his family sold their property – 3.5 acres stretching from Jensen’s Marina to the Bubble Room – almost 20 years ago before moving off the island.
“When we sold our property, my brother and I went to the Keys with a stonecrab and lobster boat my dad bought us,” Rosse said. “My mom and dad bought a house in St. James City and my sister had been married so she’d already been gone.”
Rosse spent some time as a commercial fisherman in the Keys and later did construction work, but now he’s returned to the islands and is hoping to get back into commercial fishing.
“I took out fishing charters when I was younger – of course I didn’t have a license to do it but I did it anyway,” Rosse recalled. “It was extra money and it helped the family.”
Rosse also remembers a lot of stories his grandfather told him when he was growing up on Captiva Island.
“Back then, property was dirt cheap. Nobody knew what this place was going to turn into. I remember him (Andy Rosse) telling me that he bought the property with the big dock on it from ‘Ding’ Darling for $700,” Rosse said.
In fact, Rosse is currently working on several concepts for a Captiva history book and a few children’s books, including a story about a little girl – based on his sister Margot – who meets a mermaid during an adventure around Captiva.
“One of the reasons I want to write my own book is because there are several books about Captiva, but there is never a chapter dedicated to my family, and my family is Captiva,” Rosse said, mentioning several anecdotes, one involving how the island’s mail and supplies were delivered to the Rosse dock.
In addition, Rosse hopes to share his family’s stories through literature and said that he would love to make enough money off of the books so he can continue doing what he loves – leading a guide boat and sharing with people the beauty of Captiva and its surrounding islands.
Though the road bearing his name commemorates Andy Rosse’s many years on Captiva (during which his restaurant and bar, Andy’s Pier, was a favorite stop for locals and visitors), perhaps his descendants will also have a hand in memorializing Rosse’s beloved island.