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SAFETY HARBOR - Alfred P. Gotts, a community watchdog and political activist, died Thursday (Aug. 5, 2004). He was 87.
For some 30 years, Mr. Gotts and his wife, Jeanne, were fixtures at Safety Harbor City Commission meetings, where they routinely had front-row seats.
"He's a wonderful man who dedicated a lot of his life to the city of Safety Harbor. We'll miss him," said Safety Harbor City Manager Wayne Logan Jr.
In the mid 1990s, Mr. and Mrs. Gotts boycotted the city meetings for a period when Logan, who previously served as interim city manager, was passed over for his current position.
The couple's community dedication was recognized in 1991 when the city proclaimed Sept. 3 "Al and Jeanne Gotts Day" in observance of their 53rd wedding anniversary.
Mr. Gotts was born in Augusta Township, Mich., and came here in 1970 from Michigan, where he served as Washtenaw County deputy sheriff.
He was an area manager for Sportservice Corp. and supervised 14 concession stands at theaters in Florida, Michigan and Ohio.
Mr. Gotts and his wife, who died in 2002, were publishers of the Safety Harbor Communicator, a community newspaper that grew from eight pages to more than 50.
The couple were members of First Baptist Church of Safety Harbor, where Mr. Gotts was an usher. They shared a commitment to the Safety Harbor Library, where the circulation desk was named in their honor and where Mr. Gotts served as Santa Claus during the holiday season.
Survivors include a son, Bruce, Toledo, Ohio; a daughter, Mary E. Drye, Safety Harbor; a sister, Clara Gotts, Largo; four grandchildren, Paul Gotts, Kelly Schissler and Wendy and Philip Drye; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Sylvan Abbey Funeral Home in Clearwater is in charge of arrangements.
A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church of Safety Harbor.
The family suggests memorial contributions to Hospice of the Florida Suncoast, 300 East Bay Drive, Largo, FL 33770; or the Safety Harbor Public Library at 101 Second St. N, Safety Harbor, FL 34695.