Living Memories

Jazz and Light
George and Fran Davenport

It is early morning on Amelia. The air, while thickening in the morning sun, is still at a pleasurable level not yet sticking shirts to backs and rising perspiration to the brow. I stand outside the front door of a house on Osprey Village Drive admiring the landscape as it lofts around houses and driveways over to the manicured fairways nearby.

The door to the home opens slowly and a swell of jazz spills onto the front porch. I am struck by the presence of a tall and stately man with a welcoming handshake. This is George R. Davenport, driving force behind the AIM company in Jacksonville and a familiar face to the inhabitants of Amelia Island. He steps to the side offering me passage into his home and the presence of his beloved wife, Fran. Their house, expansive and comfortable, provides a haven for the bends and twists of the jazz as it maneuvers 'round corners and by pictures of a family at play.

George grew up on jazz. His father filled their house with the soulful tunes of the New Orleans greats, creating a connection in a young man that has never wavered. George recalls, "It was played in our home as a kid. I literally grew up on it. I remember when I was fourteen, a radio show I used to listen to coming out of New York City and they played a lot of Louis Armstrong. And I just fell in love with Louie! And I got hooked on that New Orleans Dixieland style of music." Having been fortunate enough to see Satchmo live on three separate occasions, a daily dosage of Dixieland jazz continues to do George's body and soul good.

Just as he learned the love of jazz from his father, Fran received a love of travel from hers. "At the age of 10, Dad took us to Italy and we toured all of Italy for two months. And I guess I've got that in my blood now and I love to travel." The two met in the middle last June when they traveled with some neighbors from Osprey Village back to Italy. The cruise, centering around live jazz, saw them hit the hot spots on the coast of Italy from Rome all the way around to Venice.

The Davenports story is a classic American tale. George met Fran in high school. She was sixteen. He was seventeen. While taking part in a driver's education class, she caught his eye and the moment changed his life forever. There among the talk of right turns and brake pedals the two fell in love but had to patiently wait out World War II and then college before they were finally able to tie the knot. The result was three children, their own private company, a career at Penney's, and the knowledge of having a life well lived.

That life well lived led them from New York all the way to Amelia Island and Osprey Village. Once they arrived in Florida, they knew they never wanted to leave. Like the romp and freedom of a good jazz tune, the move to Osprey Village just felt right.

Fran explains, "We love the easy sociability of the island. We have great friends on the Plantation and love the overall ambience of the island. We love the trees, the beach and this place brought everything together for us."

When asked specifically about their favorite things at Osprey Village, Fran doesn't hesitate, "The carefree lifestyle. We have fine dining. We've been here three years and the food just keeps getting better and better. Carlos, our Executive Chef, is doing a fantastic job and George Lannon is terrific as the head of the dining room. He knows our likes and dislikes, what table size we prefer and seats us with different people every night. It's wonderful."

She adds, "I've got to tell you the thing we really like.we love the lighting in the Village. When we take a walk at night, the lampposts are all lit up and it's such a friendly, small town atmosphere. We love this. We look outside and there's light! A great atmosphere, it's just very cheerful."

George continues, "The people are great. We have a great group of people here and that's important. We really enjoy them. I think that is the most important element."

"The people are friendly and the activities.Kim (Godin) is doing a wonderful job and it helps to bring everybody together. So we have the best of both worlds now: We have our friends on the Plantation and our friends here," Fran smiles and laughs, "Actually we have a lot of friends who have moved over since we did. They kind of kid and say well George did it! I guess we better go take a look!"

Maybe it is time for you to come take a look, too. Let George Lannon seat you at a table with people like the Davenports and experience the freedom of great jazz and the hassle free lifestyle that Osprey Village has to offer.