Mike Greenwell remembered during celebration of life
Mike Greenwell, a former Boston Red Sox player and Lee County Commissioner remembered at celebration of life at JetBlue Park
Greenwell, who died at 62, was remembered as a community-focused figure who remained humble despite his fame.After his 12-year baseball career, he founded a local family fun park and later served in public office.Friends, family, and former teammates recalled his competitive spirit and deep roots in Southwest Florida.
Beneath the towering light poles of JetBlue Park, a place where new baseball memories are created, hundreds of mourners gathered Saturday, Oct. 18 to look back and celebrate the life of a former Boston Red Sox All-Star and Lee County commissioner whose impact stretched beyond the diamond.
The Mike Greenwell Celebration of Life, hosted by Lee County government and his family, drew residents, civic leaders and longtime friends in a rather upbeat event with inspiring music, lots of smiles and a few laughs and tears. Many wore Red Sox gear, a nod to Greenwell’s 12-year career with the team, where he earned two All-Star selections and nearly won the American League Most Valuable Player in 1988.
“It’s a beautiful day for baseball,” said Shawn Smith, general manager of Red Sox Florida operations, recalling Greenwell’s passion. “We shared a common bond ― love and respect for the game.”
Greenwell, who died Oct. 9 at age 62 after a brief battle with medullary thyroid cancer, was remembered as a man who never let fame change his character.
That was among the sentiments echoed at the event, in MLB player statements and in tributes in places like The News-Press Facebook page, his online obituary and a digital guestbook created by the county. At the 90-minute celebration that included a video of career highlights, microphones were passed around, allowing fans, among the 500 that the Lee County Sheriff’s Office estimated in the stands, to talk of their memories.
“Mike was a class act,” resident Mark Jensen said. “I remember watching him play for the Red Sox and later seeing him at local events. He never let fame change who he was.”
“I met Mike during a charity event in Cape Coral,” said another resident, Emily Rodriguez. “He was so gracious and humble. A true role model.”
After growing up in Southwest Florida, Greenwell’s post-baseball life was also deeply rooted in the region. The businessman founded Greenwell’s Family Fun Park — now Gator Mike’s — in Cape Coral, creating a space for families to gather, and later established a construction contracting company.
“I met Mike at Greenwell’s Family Fun Park years ago,” resident Patricia Greene said. “He was so down-to-earth and friendly. He made everyone feel welcome.”
Watch: Mike Greenwell vintage photos, Boston Red Sox career highlights
Treated for thyroid cancer, Mike Greenwell, who grew up in SW Florida and played 12 years for the Red Sox, died Oct. 9, 2025. Scenes from his career.
With Greenwell’s involvement in children’s activities dating back to his days of youth baseball, his family had requested donations to the Lee County 4-H in lieu of flowers.
His commitment to the community extended into public service, where he was appointed to the Lee County Commission in 2022 and later voted in for another term after an election that centered in part, around development.
“Mike did a lot for Cape Coral,” resident Marlene Spencer said. “He stuck around, kids looked up to him. When he entered politics, though I wasn’t on the same wavelength, it was nice to see him continuing to contribute to the community,”
The concourse at JetBlue featured displays of Greenwell memorabilia and photos — a visual tribute to his life and legacy. With ballads in the background like Phil Collins’ “You’ll Be In My Heart,” Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” and Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again,” a scheduled lineup of speakers included Greenwell’s niece, elected officials and Smith.
Walking in at 12:59 p.m. from the Green Monster wall, his relatives strolled by an easel with Greenwell’s jersey blowing in the breeze at his left field position and reached home plate adorned with his number 39. Among them: widow Tracy, sons Bo and Garrett and four grandchildren including 9-year-old Gage and 4-year-old Brooks.
“He was a man who didn’t just live in the community, he lived the community,” said family spokesperson Danielle Justice, the master of ceremony and former pastor who described Greenwell’s “drive, heart and unwavering commitment. If he was going to do something, he was going to do it. He showed up.”
As some of the crowd gathered in the outfield at the end of the program and then slowly dispersed from the stadium, many lingered — swapping stories, hugging old friends and reflecting on a life that touched so many corners of the region.
“I really feel overcome with gratitude,” his son, Bo said. “To hear these stories and see all these people, it’s amazing.”
His dad played out the childhood fantasy many of us had wished for growing up playing baseball with him in Southwest Florida.
“He literally lived every little boy’s dream,” said Commissioner Brian Hamman, wearing a Red Sox jersey, who watched Greenwell play as a child growing up in Cape Coral. “I was star struck, (but) he was a normal guy.”
A tough competitor, Greenwell was loud, brash, and you didn’t really like him too much as a rival when he was on the opposing bench for North Fort Myers High School. He had on-the-field instincts and rarely missed the ball with one of the sweetest swings any of us had ever seen.
Not that everyone thought the six-footer would eventually roam the same Fenway Park left field that had belonged to Hall of Famers Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski and Ted Williams. Nothing quite like that nearly MVP level had ever happened to a kid from Southwest Florida, and this was just before Deion Sanders, another Red Knights prodigy who eventually played two pro sports and now coaches football at the University of Colorado.
“He was a great teammate and an even better person,” former Red Sox contemporary Bob Stanley said prior to the event. “He had big shoes to fill in left field, and he did a damn good job. He played hard and never forgot where he came from — Fort Myers. Just a great guy.”
But the moments weren’t overwhelming or intimidating for the feisty Greenwell, nicknamed Gator after a locker room prank involving a real one. And it wasn’t a surprise when he called his Red Sox teammates “a bunch of wimps” for staying in the dugout and not jumping on the field in a 1989 confrontation during which he was surrounded by Texas Rangers.
“He was fearless at the plate, standing closer than anyone I’ve ever seen,” former Red Sox teammate Marty Barrett said. “I loved playing alongside him for almost my entire career. It was pretty amazing.”
Like the “Shining Star” song by the Manhattans, played at the event, Greenwell’s stats do shine.
Of the more than 21,000 who have donned a Major League uniform, Greenwell finished with a career batting average of .303, tied 136th all time with the likes of Pete Rose, Chipper Jones, Will Clark and Mark Grace.
In the Know Columnist Phil Fernandez (pfernandez@gannett.com) grew up in Southwest Florida and appreciated the opportunity to play with and mostly against Mike Greenwell in high school and Babe Ruth league baseball. Sign up for our Breaking Ground growth and development newsletter.