ST. AUGUSTINE EASTER WEEK FESTIVAL
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  • Home
  • About Us
    • History
    • Past Royal Trios
    • Knighting Honorees
  • Calendar of Events
  • Easter Parade Registration
  • Contact Us
    • Organization Information
    • Become Involved
    • Donations & Sponsorship
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2023 Knighting Honorees

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Sylvia Martin-McGinnis
Growing up across the Matanzas River in Vilano Beach with her three sisters, Sylvia Ann Martin – McGinnis is the proud mother of 3 wonderful children and enjoys spoiling her 5 grandchildren.  Sylvia’s career path has taken her from the role of a hair stylist all the way up to her current position as a Senior Sales Director with Mark Kay Cosmetics.  Over 50 years ago, Sylvia embraced the reenacting community in St. Augustine which led to her working in the Easter Festival and Royal Family to this day.  In 1981, she also became a pirate with the Krewe of the Blackheart and instrumental in the first pirate gathering.  Working within these local groups, she brought her love for living history to the forefront and was an essential link between these organizations and the City of St. Augustine.  Additionally, Sylvia was part of a dedicated group, whose efforts successfully brought the Tall Ships into the St. Augustine Port & Marina. Due to her passion for this city and its history, she was honored in 2022 with induction into the Order of Leviathan, which is an international pirate Krewe.  This same passion, along with her donation of over a thousand volunteer hours - spanning half a century - to the groups already mentioned and several women’s organizations, makes her a wonderful new member to our honorees.

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Father Gilbert Medina
​Father Medina was ordained to the priesthood in 2007 and is currently the pastor of Saint Peter Catholic Church in DeLand.  In addition to his many responsibilities as shepherd of his flock, Father Medina also partakes in many historical events in St. Augustine.  His portrayal of historic figures in events such as Pedro Menendez’s birthday celebration and Founder’s Day have helped educate thousands of visitors about the pivotal moments that formed this very city.  He is grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of maintaining and contributing to the Spanish culture and traditions of the nation’s oldest city.  He is quoted as saying, “Portraying the founder of the great city of St. Augustine has deepened my awareness and respect for the Spanish culture.  The contributions of so many different peoples from the various parts of the Spanish Empire, whose descendants are here today, have enriched the formation and development of this beautiful city, and indeed all of La Florida.  Viva Espana!”  It is our pleasure to honor a man who is a true and dedicated cultural educator of this city’s founding nation.

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Elizabeth Duran Gessner
Elizabeth has a background in art history, Spanish language and history.  She has worked on development of historical resources in St. Augustine such as Mission Nombre de Dios, the Cathedral Basilica, and the Sisters of St. Joseph.  Elizabeth is most well known in St. Augustine for being the founder and current President of the Tolomato Cemetery Preservation Association.  This site is important to many of us locals here in St. Augustine who are descendants of the diverse groups who are buried within - including but not limited to Spanish, Minorcan, Irish, African, Greek, and Italian peoples.  Through her tireless efforts, she has partnered with the University of South Florida to digitally scan and 3D map the Tolomato Cemetery, ensuring this historic landmark is accessible for generations to come.  Elizabeth is proud of how the preservation of this cemetery enables us to focus on and get to know the lives and real history of the families of St. Augustine, from the First Spanish Period all the way through to the end of the 19th century.  Her unceasing dedication to document the history of this oldest continuously settled city in the Unites States clearly demonstrates why she has been selected to receive this honor.

Knighting Honorees

​​1969
Dr. James DeVito
​​Robert Banta
Mrs. "Frankie" Walker
​​1970
​Ann Carling
​John Bailey
Robert Hollingsworth
​1971
Albert Colee
​Ambrose Colee, Jr.
 
​1972
​Charles Colee
Dick Parks
 
​​1973
​A.H. Thibault
F.H. "Pappy" Schilling
 
1974
​Joseph McClure, Sr.
​​John Griffin
​Major Gen. Henry W. McMilan
​​1975
​Philip Genovar​
H.E. Wolfe
Bill Reinhardt
1976
Elizabeth Towers
​W. Douglas Hartley​
 
1977
​Nancy Powell
Bill McDaniels
 
​1978
​​O.C. Hayes
Art Spechert​
Fred H.Whitley
1979
David Roberts
Malcolm Stephens
​Gen. Ralph W. Cooper, Jr.
1980
Eugenia Genovar
Jack Wilson
Mrs. Walter Crawbuck
​​1981
​Marie Colee
Frank Keen
Maricathryn Frederick
​​1982
​M. K. Murphy
​Charles Usina
Fred Brinkhoff
​1983
​​Fred White
Tom King
Mary Baker
​1983
​Sally Walton
A Tourist​
 
​1984
​​Hubert & Hallie Carcaba
Craig's Funeral Home
 
​1985​
Robert Hood
​(Barnett Bank)
John Daniels
​(Atlantic Bank)
Eddy Mussaleum
​1986
​Ramelle Petroglou
Phil Bernstein
Flowers by Shirley
1987
Danny Fraser
​Janelle Whaley​
Mena Oliveros
​​1988
George Nelson
(Jaycees)
​Barbara Jones​​
Red Cox
​1989
​Ken Forrester
(FNG)
​Wendell Powell
​(Grumman)
Lindsay Wiles
(Ham Radio)
​1989
​​James O'Neil
 
 
​​1990
Jack and Frank Usina
​
(Victory II and III)
 
 
1991
A.H. Thibault
​(Trailer Trains)
​Kenny Beason
​Ruth Ryan
​1991
​Sally Walton Dance Center
 
 
​1992
​Minorcan Cultural Society
​Rhoda Neel
Gamble Rogers
​1993
V.J. Usina III
(Raceway)
Samantha Wilson
(SCW)
​Phil Genovar
​(Dixie Custom)
​1994
​​Mary Alice Colson
​Bobby Fletcher
Elaine Fraser
(Fountain of Youth)
1995
Joe Pomar
Paige Edwards
Paige Edwards
1996
​​​Father Baker
​Al Brennan
Knights of Columbus
​1997
​​Margo Pope
​William "Bill" Baker
Jerry Kaz
1998
​Jim Craig
Leann McDaniel​​
Karen Adams
​​1998
​​Julia Frederick
Pilot Club
 
1999
​Almarie Colee
​Rick Molar
​​Robert Webb, Sr.
​​​2001
​​Len Weeks
​Frank & Kathy Fazio
​
(Capt. Jack's Restaurant)
 
​2002
​​​Kenneth Dow
​​Kerrie McCarthy
​​Kerrie McCarthy
​​2004
​Barry Kendell Revis
Ralph & Florence Hernandez Powers
John J. & Cleo Masters
​​​2006
​​​Dr. William L. Proctor
​​​Theresa Petty Pruitt​
 
​​​2009
​George Gardner
​​Beth Morton Perlo
 
2010
​Sgt. Bryan J. Tutten
​​Ken Amaro
​(First Coast News)
 
​​​2011
​​William T. Abare, Jr.
​
(Flagler College)
​
 
 
2012
​​​Cathy Brown
​​​Jean Wagner Troemel
 
​2013
​​Herbie Wiles
​(Herbie Wiles Insurance)
​Karen Harvey
 
​2014​
​​Christine Chapman
Kathleen VandeBerg
 
​2015
​​Ann Masters Browning
Susan Parker
William Dudley
​​2015
​David Chatterton
 
 
2016
​​Carol Lopez Bradshaw
Mark Bailey​
Mark Bailey
​​2017​
​​Jessica Clark
​​Cora Tyson
Otis Mason
​​2017​​
​Mike & Theresa Usina
​​
 
​​2018
John Alexander
​Carl Halbert
Robert & Glenda Frawley
​​​2019
 
 
 
​​2021
​​Joyce Segui​
Michael Lugo
​(Michael's Tasting Room)
 
​2022
​Bob & Maria Alvarez​
​​Kelli Meacham
 
​​2023
​​​Sylvia Martin McGinnis​
​Fr. Gilbert Medina
Elizabeth Duran Gessner
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