Winter Haven Chamber to Give Marelene Young Posthumous Award

WINTER HAVEN | The Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors will do something it hasn’t done in its 85-year history -- break its own rules for the Banker’s Cup.

They have a good reason, though.

At the Chamber’s annual meeting on Sept. 11, the late Marlene Duffy Young will be honored posthumously with a Banker’s Cup.

The Banker’s Cup is normally awarded to living individuals through a nomination process and the ceremony for the event is held annually in January.

Because of the outpouring appreciation for Young’s service to the community, however, the board thought it would be noteworthy to recognize Young.

To maintain the integrity of the Banker’s Cup selection process, it was decided to award Young’s family with the honor at the annual meeting instead of in January, Bob Gernert, the Chamber’s executive director said Thursday.

That way, the recognition of the 2008 honorees and next year’s honorees wouldn’t be diminished, he said.

“It’s extraordinarily rare,” said Gernert. “This would not be an every day occurrence. One thing that became apparent after Marlene died was the depth of feeling the community had for her.”

In fact, this is the first time the Banker’s Cup has been awarded posthumously.

Bonnie Parker, immediate past president of the Chamber and a board member, said it only took five minutes to make the decision and it was an easy one.

“We just all felt like if anybody who was deserving of this honor, it was her,” said Parker, city president of Suntrust Bank. “She was such an extraordinary person that we thought we could do something extraordinary for her.”

Young, 58, of Winter Haven, died May 22 from injuries received in an automobile accident on Lake Howard Drive. Her husband and daughter, Meghan, 22, were injured.

The driver of the other car, William Boyd Johnson, 71, of Winter Haven, who police have blamed for the accident, died at the scene.

A memorial service was held May 30 and mourners recalled Young’s passionate service for the community.

Young, a former Winter Haven mayor and Polk County commissioner, was a member of the First Church of the Nazarene and her pastor, the Rev. Brad Estep, has said she always had on her apron of service.

In addition to her many other civic contributions, Young often worked with her husband to serve breakfast and lunch to the men, women and children who attended the Sunday morning services there.

Her community efforts were numerous and Young was known for taking in stray dogs, abused women and anyone else neglected by society, Tom Oldt, an investment services adviser, said at Young’s Memorial Service during a poetic tribute.

Gernert announced the posthumous award on his blog Thursday. It drew comments from several people including Frank Klopp.

“Better late than never,” Klopp said. “It is well deserved and very fitting to the meaning of the award. She will be long remembered.”

The Banker’s Cup award was established by the Winter Haven Clearing House Association in 1923.

The award has been presented to two Winter Haven residents -- a woman and a man -- each year since, with the exception of 1943 through 1945, during World War II.

Individuals are nominated through letters which are evaluated by an anonymous committee of past recipients.

The annual Chamber meeting, which is separate from the Banker’s Cup, will be held at the Lake Ashton Country Club in Lake Wales.

The meeting will feature small and large business awards, beautification and architectural Awards recognition, installation of new directors and passing of the gavel to the incoming president, Seretha Tinsley, who will become the first black president of the Chamber.

[ Merissa Green can be reached at merissa.green@theledger.com or 863-401-6968. ]