Lido Shores: Well Known Lido Shorian Howard Rooks Has Died

W. Howard Rooks 1934- 2022

Lisa Rooks-Morris with father Howard Rooks in 2013

Editors Note: We are so saddened to pass along the news that long-time Lido Shorian and friend Howard Rooks has passed away. By any description, Howard was one-of-a-kind. He had a passion for life, his family and real-estate, and he truly loved living in Lido Shores. He was one of the first people Susie and I met when we moved to Lido Shores nearly 18-years ago... and has been a friend ever since.

Whether it was hoisting a well-chilled martini at his open-air bar-restaurant on the Circle, The Cork...singing along to Sinatra at his Amore Restaurant piano bar...watching him zip by on his teal motor scooter each morning with dog Venus in tow... or hosting a neighborhood Potluck overlooking Pansy Bayou from his Guy Peterson designed home on Morningside Drive... Howard always commanded attention. He may have left a nay-sayer or two in his larger than life wake... but his eloquent persona and persuasive charm was always something to behold.

Declining health forced Howard to reluctantly leave Lido Shores in 2019. With the help of his loving daughter Lisa, he moved to The Mark downtown... where we often ran into him, still getting out and about, still with a cheery smile and a big hello.

Sadly, Lido Shores has lost its share of memorable characters over the past few years...perhaps none shining more brightly than Howard Rooks.

~Bob Thill

Howard with his French Bulldog Sylvie

Howard Rooks Obituary

W. Howard Rooks, 88 of Sarasota died peacefully at his home on October 20, 2022, surrounded by his loving daughter and grandchildren.

Howard was born on February 8, 1934, in Turkey, North Carolina, the second of two children born to William and Orpha Rooks. The son of a North Carolina tobacco farmer, Howard was the first from his town to attend college. He continued to work the fields with his family and hitchhiked rides to East Carolina University where he became class president.

He received his BA in 1956 and, years later, became a Trustee of the University. Howard served two years in the U.S. Army before becoming a high school teacher in Alexandria, Virginia where he met his wife of 25 years, Sue Gilliam Rooks.

One evening, after closing on their new home in Alexandria, Howard noticed the real estate agent earned more on one transaction than he made teaching school for an entire year. Howard decided to get his real estate license and try to sell houses on the weekends to supplement his salary. He quickly fell in love with the business, gave up teaching, and in 1968, founded Mount Vernon Realty in Alexandria.

Over the next 25 years, he grew the company to over 3,000 agents and 62 offices. Before he sold the company to Weichert Realtors in 1991, Mount Vernon Realty became the 10th largest privately owned real estate company in the United States. He was an inspiring and charismatic leader, driven by helping his agents create their own dreams and meet their goals.

Following the sale of his business, Howard began to spend more time in Sarasota where he had purchased a small home on Lido Key in 1970. He was passionate about Sarasota and knew one day he would retire there. He spent the last 30 years of his life in Sarasota, but never really retired. An admitted “deal junkie," Howard was soon creating, developing, partnering, and investing full-time in Sarasota. He was quickly joined by his daughter Lisa and her husband Bob Morris in many of these real estate investments.

He was also involved in several related business pursuits including The Plaza restaurant on Longboat Key, Cork and the Bottle Shop on St. Armands Circle, and Amore restaurant in downtown’s Burns Court neighborhood. His initial passion was the real estate itself, but he came to love the process of creating a community, spending time with the staff, and enjoying meals, drinks, and great music with his friends and regulars at the piano bar.

Howard was also passionate about the modern architecture of Sarasota and his Lido Shores neighborhood. At a time when Mediterranean style homes were in favor, he sought to bring more classic modern architecture to Sarasota. Having no experience in building, construction, or design, Howard sought out the best people in each field; he partnered with Guy Peterson, Pat Ball and Rick Carlisle to help bring his vision to life. He restored and improved several of the most important Sarasota School of Architecture houses and built several high-end waterfront spec homes.

While Howard always hoped to make a profit, sometimes he didn’t, especially during times of recession. What was most important to Howard was creating projects that were fun, beautiful, and interesting; projects that would create delight and benefit others. He had big ideas and knew how to connect with people who could do what he could not.

Howard was the ultimate optimist and a fearless risk-taker, always motivated by the creative process. He measured his success by his relationships with others, what he was able to create, and how he made others feel. Over the years, money came and went, and came again, but never seemed to influence who he was and how he treated other people. He had a deep inner faith that all would be well. He was extraordinarily grateful for his life and for those in it.

Howard was an active Rotarian for decades. He was a member of St. Armands Lutheran Church and served as a Stephen minister there. He served on the Board of Directors for Meals on Wheels, Sarasota. He was a two term Trustee of East Carolina University and served on many other charitable and business boards during his professional careers in both Alexandria and Sarasota.

Howard was predeceased by his beloved son, Gregory Kent Rooks. He is survived by his daughter Lisa Rooks Morris of Sarasota, his grandchildren Kathryn “Kate” Morris and Robert “Tripp” Morris, his big sister, Janice Tolar, and his niece, Jacki Cavenaugh both of Newport, NC.

Memorial Service

A memorial service will be held on Monday, November 7 at 10:00am, St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, 40 Adams Dr., Sarasota, FL 34236

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, 40 North Adams Drive, Sarasota, FL 34236 or SAKLC.com.

To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of W. Howard Rooks please visit Toale Brothers Funeral Home Sympathy Store.