Longtime Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Court, R.B. “Chips” Shore has passed away.
Shore, 74, was found dead in his home in Bradenton shortly after noon.
His cause of death has not been released.
Shore was elected as Clerk of the Circuit Court in 1977.
Until the Governor appoints a successor, Angelina Colonneso, current General Counsel to the Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller for Manatee County, will serve as interim Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Court.
The Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Office and the Historic Courthouse closed today, July 29, 2015, at 2 p.m. in order to allow staff to process their grief. While employees will report for work tomorrow, the Clerk’s Office will remain closed to routine business on Thursday, July 30, 2015 in order to allow time for the transition to a new Clerk, essential to continued operations.
However, the Clerk’s Office will be open to process time sensitive documents such as domestic violence injunctions, warrants and other emergencies only. The entire Clerk’s Office will reopen for business on Friday, July 31, 2015, at 8:30 a.m.
“Chips Shore was a Manatee County institution and I can think of no one who appreciated local history more than Chips,” said Manatee County Commission Chairman Betsy Benac. “For proof of that, look at the complete facelift he brought about for the Historic Courthouse and grounds during the height of the recession. My heartfelt condolences go out to Chips’ family and to all of those who loved him and loved working with him. He will be missed.”
“I am shocked and saddened to learn that Chips passed away,” said County Administrator Ed Hunzeker. “He was a visionary who understood the importance of using technology to improve government transparency and accessibility. We had a great relationship and I will truly miss him.”
The Office of the Clerk of Circuit Court requests the patience of the public during this transitional time.