Stanley Edmund “Ropes” Higgs, 81, a lifelong Key West Conch, passed away on Sunday morning, March 20, following a sudden decline. Stanley grew up in Key West when it was very different than today and he treasured his memories of wonderful times and dear friends. Before a fractured hip and age slowed him, he avidly enjoyed boating, water-skiing, sailing, photography, flying, cars, stereos and dogs. Stanley was an accomplished do-it-yourselfer and was handy at anything he set his mind on. To the end, he was sharp as a tack and kept a wry sense of humor.
Stanley spent many hours walking out to sit on the bench in front of Mangia Mangia with his little dog where he engaged many of us in pleasant conversation.
Shortly before the New Year, Stanley lost his beloved Girlie, who barked at him for the past fifteen years. Many recognize Stanley from the decades he spent with the U.S. Postal Service. A few of his longtime friends remember him from his days at Evans Sporting Goods. He was preceded in death by his parents, Irene and Edmund “Old Rope” Higgs, and his brother Hillary. Stanley was one of the few old timers left who could remember what he was doing on Labor Day, 1935, when the Great Hurricane struck the Upper Keys. As Stanley told it, the weather in Key West gave no hint of the devastation, but said that his father, a fisherman, learned of the storm before coming home from the docks. For the rest of the day, Old Rope never let go of him. Stanley’s remains will be interred in the Higgs family vault in Key West Cemetery.
There will be a celebration of Stanley's life at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 31, 2011, at the Kennedy Cafe. Friends of "Ropes'" are invited to share stories and memories over breakfast. Please RSVP to RopesKW@Aol.com.
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