People: Keeping up with the Gator quarterback

When the University of Florida plays Maryland in the Orange Bowl on Wednesday, Gator quarterback Rex Grossman, as always, will have his own cheering section.

"We haven't missed one of his football games since the second grade," says Rex's mom, Maureen. "And we're not about to start now."

Rex, who has spent the last week at home in Bloomington, Ind., will fly to Miami today to join his team in preparation for the game.

His dad, Bloomington ophthalmologist Dan Grossman, along with Maureen and grandmother Nancy, will stay at the Sheraton Bal Harbour. Joining the family will be Rex's sisters and their families. Ashley and husband Justin Fox and 23-month-old Alex will fly from Chicago, and Amy and Brad Bostic and 11-month-old Bonnie will make the trip from Carmel, Ind.

For all the Florida home games, Dan and Maureen fly out of Indianapolis and land at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. Dan has rearranged his operating schedule during the season so they can attend all of the Gator games. Maureen, who oversees the family's Arabian horse business, also reschedules her appointments during football season.

Three years ago, the family bought a condo at the Grande on Sand Key. They spend Thursday and most of Friday there before heading to Gainesville for Rex's games. In the off season they enjoy the Florida weather and the beach, says Dan.

Florida's quarterback is named for his late granddad, who played football for Indiana during his college days. Dan, too, played for Indiana, and like his son was a quarterback.

A golden memory

When longtime Tampa Bay area plastic surgeon Dr. John Hamilton and wife Imy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary recently, Hamilton said one of the reasons their marriage lasted was that they had three ceremonies. The couple met at George Washington University Hospital, where he was a resident and she a nurse. When the Air Force sent him to the base hospital in Tachikawa, Japan, Hamilton proposed she come to Japan and marry him.

"First thing we had to do was drive to Tokyo to the American Embassy. The first ceremony was there," Hamilton told guests at a dinner-dance at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Next stop was a another ceremony at Tokyo's City Hall, where a clerk officiated. Last stop on the day's wedding marathon was the base chapel in Tachikawa, where they repeated their vows for a third time.

The party for the Hamiltons was given by their daughter, Pinellas County lawyer Susan Churuti, and sons John III, Courtney and Scott Hamilton. Grandson John IV, a student at Florida State University, was also at the party.

Among those who came for the celebration were their best man (at all three ceremonies) Dr. Bill Reefe of Roanoke, Va., and former Circuit Judge Fred Bryson and wife, Jean, who now live in Pickens, S.C.

Home Shopping Network co-founder Roy Speer drove in from Orlando with wife Linda. Speer was among 20 Floridians who made it onto Forbes magazine's annual ranking of the 400 richest Americans. The magazine listed Speer with a net worth of $810-million.

Coming attraction

New York City's tourism czarina Cristyne Lategano-Nicholas is planning to launch a performing tour called "New York Loves America." A Broadway troupe will make a 13-city tour that includes Tampa, Houston, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Cleveland and San Francisco.

The group will meet with the mayor in each city, thank each city for anything it did to help the "Big Apple," and invite everyone to come to New York.

Count on the troupe performing New York, New York, Give My Regards to Broadway, I Love New York, East Side, West Side and Manhattan.

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