JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – A antheral who greeted the beaches assemblage with a grin for 40 years is being remembered.

The longtime maître d’ of the Casa Marina Hotel and Restaurant successful Jacksonville Beach -- Sterling Joyce -- has died. He was 71 years old.

Joyce died aft what the household described arsenic a semipermanent illness.

Jackie Davis, Joyce’s cousin, shared photos with News4JAX and said the household is overwhelmed by the enactment from the community.

She says her memories of him, are besides of a cleanable man and superb relation exemplary who she says partnered with her connected galore foundation events, giving backmost to their community.

“I’m gonna miss him truthful much,” Davis said. “Words can’t explicit close present however I feel, and I conscionable privation to accidental convey you to everybody who loved Sterling, who befriended him, who showed up astatine the Casa Marina to his astonishing day parties, his astonishing events.”

For the past respective years, successful lieu of bringing gifts to his ample day bashes, Joyce would inquire guests to donate to BEAM -- a nonprofit, servicing low-income residents astatine the beaches.

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Beaches Museum shared the quality connected societal media:

The Beaches Museum announced the passing of "Beach Legend" Sterling Joyce.

Joyce retired from the historical Casa Marina edifice successful July but continued to assistance antithetic charities successful the community.

He appeared connected River City Live conscionable days earlier his status enactment to speech astir the interaction he’s had successful our section beaches for 4 decades. Watch below:

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About the Authors:

Joy Purdy co-anchors the 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. newscasts with Tarik Minor and the 11 p.m. weeknight newscasts with Kent Justice.