Patrick Range II still remembers the stories his grandmother, the late M. Athalie Range, used to tell him about Historic Virginia Key Beach Park— the baptisms, easter sunrise services, the smell of sizzling corn dogs from the concession stand, and the laughter of families gathered under the swaying palms.
For her, it was more than just a beach. It was a hard-won place of belonging.
Now, decades later, another Athalie — Athalie Edwards — stands barefoot near the water’s edge, gazing out at the waves that once taught her family how to swim. She recalls the stories passed down of people ferrying across the bay before the causeway even existed…