Article and pictures by Larry Oskin and Michelle Delaney
This is the second in the series dedicated to the people whose names appear on the plaques appearing along the brick walkway between West and Minneola Streets in Downtown Clermont. The plaques were dedicated by individuals, organizations, and families wanting to recognize and honor a family or an individual who served the community.
The honorees on the eastside of the Art walkway include Ann Dupee, Richard H. Bell, Marvin ‘Pappy’ Boykin, Bonnie Homan Ray, George Edward Hovis, J.M. Vander Meer, Willie Montgomery, Wolfe Family, McLean Family, George and Lillian Karst, Richard Langley, Gene, Mary & The Langley Family, The Pool Family, and the Oswalt Family.
The honorees on the Westside of the Art walkway include Ray Goodgame, Gail L. Ash, Diane Travis, Timothy Bates, Jim Pervis, The Kron Family, Chris Smith, Ryan Stringfellow, Troy Stackhouse, Lawrence Rescoe, Jane R. Hartge, Suzanna Hartge, Lester Cole, and Paul Rountree.
In this segment, a few of the people in the Langley family will hold the spotlight.
Senator Richard H. “Dick” Langley passed after a hard-fought battle with brain cancer. 
Until the end, Dick displayed the strength, courage and tenacity that defined him.
Dick was born in Lakeland, Florida on February 22, 1937, but lived most of his life in the Lake and Sumter county areas he loved so dearly. Dick was an attorney for over 50 years, working in Clermont since the day after Christmas in 1964, accumulating thousands of clients over the decades. Dick was also a land developer of numerous residential and commercial properties, an Army veteran of distinguished service, and a cattle rancher who loved to work his cows.
He was known in the community for his years of service in politics, first on the Lake County School Board, then in the Florida House from 1972 to 1978, and finally the Florida Senate from 1980-1992, where he received far too many accolades to mention. Additionally, in 1997 he served on the Constitution Revision Commission. For decades Dick was a powerhouse in Florida politics and authored many of the laws that helped shape and protect the economic security and freedoms so many of us enjoy today. He once shared how extraordinary it was to be researching one of his own cases and realize “Wow, I wrote that law.”
Dick received awards too numerous to list for his lifetime of charitable giving. He did even more for his community and individuals anonymously, with the recipients of his charity never knowing he was the one who had delivered groceries to their home, sent them money in the mail when they needed it, or, literally, given away the jacket from off his back to a sleeping homeless man in the cold.
Dick was the rare man who lived every single day of his life to the fullest. He loved to work hard, but he loved to play hard, too. He flew airplanes, enjoyed scuba diving, spearfishing, lobstering, water skiing, golf, tennis, and every kind of competitive game imaginable.
Arthur ‘Gene’ Langley: Gene Langley was born in Lakeland. He moved to Groveland to work in the citrus groves in 1952 and then to Clermont in 1969. He proudly served in the US 
Navy for three years, until he sustained a leg injury. He then attended Florida Southern College.
Gene Langley started the Langley Fruit Company in the mid 60’s, successfully providing hundreds of local citrus harvesting jobs here for the next twenty years. With partners, he bought Silver Springs Citrus with a large citrus processing plant in Howey In The Hills in 1984. He owned over 4000 acres of Lake County citrus farms, while also managing as many citrus farms for others. In the 1990’s, their operation expanded to the East Coast with an additional 10,000 acres.
Gene was a very successful real estate broker for over 50 years. He founded a cable TV franchise in Orange County. Some of his orange grove properties turned into the Clermont Yacht Club, Highlander Point and Osprey Ridge. He was active in the Clermont First Baptist Church, while providing vehicles for the ministry. He was an avid golfer and a member of the Green Valley, Mission Inn, Bay Hill and Interlachen County Clubs. Langley truly believed that support for the arts is an essential part of any community! He wanted to support this Art Walk project to leave a lasting legacy for our community. As a loyal lover of our lakes, hills and community, Gene Langley always believed the people here in Clermont and South Lake are our biggest asset.
Micki Langley Blackburn Nagel: Micki notes, “My father J. Hubert Langley, was the biggest and most positive influence in my life! He said to always look forward and to do what you really need to do to support yourself without looking down at or being jealous of anyone else!” After a long and successful career in the local citrus industry, patriarch Hubert Langley, passed away at 62 in 1972. Micki adds, “We all must do what we can to preserve and proudly honor our families and our wonderful Clermont history while supporting the local arts!”
With a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences and two Master’s Degrees in Psychology and Business Administration, Micki started her professional career as a special education teacher. Her husband’s grandfather started his business here in the 1920’s and his father George Nagel served as our Clermont Mayor in 1951. Micki has always been an active and proud supporter of non-profit community projects as well as any project to support our Clermont history and the arts. She is on the Clermont Historic Village Board and serves an Emeritus Board Member of the Corner Stone Hospice.
After her father Hubert passed away in 1972, she and her mother got their real estate licenses to pursue a new direction. Today, she owns Micki Blackburn Realty Company with 37 real estate affiliates in three offices. Micki notes, “I really do love Clermont and South Lake County! I am extremely appreciative. I will always be very supportive of our wonderful community!”
See Part 1 of the series HERE.
