10 Couples Make Up This Year’s Bowlegs Honor Guard

By Angie Toole, Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach

Jun. 10–Honor Guard couples for this year’s Billy Bowlegs Krewe are Robert and Ellen Blanchard, Todd and DeDe Bolger, Bill and Pamela Burden, Mike and Dee Dee Carr, Scott and Donna Ennis, Bill Kilpatrick and Christina Kolb, Ed and Debbie McMullen, John and Shelley Mead, Kevin and Nancy O’Brien and Marc and Tara Starr

Robert and Ellen

Blanchard

Robert Blanchard, a native of Monroe, La., attended Louisiana Tech University where he received a B.S. degree in zoology. He attended medical school at LSU and completed his residency in pathology at Baylor University in Dallas.

Ellen is also a native of Monroe, La., and attended LSU and NLU where she received her RN degree. She enjoyed many years of critical care nursing before retiring and becoming a full-time mother for their four children, Will, 10, Kate, 8, Jack, 6, and Chris, 3. They enjoy outdoor activities, including boating, watersports and tennis. The family has lived in Fort Walton Beach since 1994 and attends St. Mary Church.

Todd and DeDe Bolger

Todd and DeDe Bolger originally moved to the Emerald Coast in 1992, lived here until 1997 and returned in 2003. Todd hails from Mifflintown, Pa., receiving his B.S. degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and master’s in International Relations from Troy State. He retired from the U.S. Air Force as a special operations and combat rescue helicopter pilot and now works for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).

DeDe hails from Ridgley, Tenn., and attended the University of Mississippi, receiving her B.A. in Art. She also went on to receive her B.S., Ed. in Education for the Hearing Impaired at Mississippi College and M.S. in Audiology at the University of South Alabama. DeDe worked as an audiologist, following Todd in his Air Force career, until becoming a full-time mom for their three children, Ian, 7, and twins Trace and Payton, 5. The family lives in Shalimar and attends St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Bill and Pamela Burden

William “Bill” R. Burden, M.D is the founder and CEO of Destin Plastic Surgery. He and his wife, Pamela M. Burden, have lived in the Fort Walton Beach area since 1995. Pam founded the Anti-Aging Clinic of Destin, a medical skin care clinic. They moved here shortly before Hurricane Opal and were not dissuaded to leave.

Bill toured the Southeast schools, graduating from Virginia Tech, The Medical College of Virginia, LSU, and The University of Florida. At LSU, he met Pam. Pam had attended LSU and graduated from the University of New Orleans.

Upon their arrival to the area they started their family. Grant, Savannah and Spencer attend Rocky Bayou Christian School. The family attends St. Rita and Village Baptist churches.

Bill is also one of the founding members of the Destin Surgery Center and has served on the board of several organizations, including the Destin Charity Wine Auction, helping children in need.

Hailing from New Orleans, the couple enjoys the Krewe of Bowlegs and the similarities to the Mardi Gras krewes. Bill and Pam were the King and Queen of the Krewe of Aquila in 2006. They are looking forward to the festivities and fun to be had.

Mike and

Dee Dee Carr

Michael Carr is a native of Fort Walton Beach and graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Building Science. He is a Floridacertified general contractor specializing in commercial constr uction. He enjoys all outdoor activities and spending quality time with his family.

Michael married his high school sweetheart, Dee Dee Ulery Carr. She is also a native of the area, born on Eglin Air Force Base and raised in Shalimar. Dee Dee graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Clothing, Textiles, and Fashion Merchandising. She is currently a group fitness instructor with Total Fitness Gyms and a full-time mother to their three children: Spencer, 10, Olivia, 7, and Gigi, 2. The Carr family makes their home in Fort Walton Beach and attends Shalimar United Methodist Church.

Scott and Donna Ennis

Scott and Donna are natives of Fairhope, Ala. Scott attended Birmingham Southern College under a Presidential Honors Scholarship. He completed medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he stayed for a full general surgery residency. From there, he matriculated to the University of Virginia, where he completed a plastic surgery fellowship and he is now double boardcertified in general surgery and plastic surgery. He now practices in Destin.

Donna completed a bachelor’s degree in Nursing at the University of Alabama in Birmingham and stayed to complete a master’s degree in Nursing as a nurse practitioner. Donna currently practices in the Destin/Niceville area. Scott and Donna have two children, Anna, 7, and Shepherd, 5. Donna and Scott currently live in Destin, enjoy boating, and attend Village Baptist Church.

Bill Kilpatrick and

Christina Kolb

Bill Kilpatrick is a native of Destin and grew up in the area. He attended Florida State University for his undergraduate degree, Cumberland School of Law for his law degree and University of Denver for his LL.M. in taxation. Bill is currently a partner and shareholder in the law firm of Fleet, Spencer & Kilpatrick, P.A. with offices in both Shalimar and Destin.

Christina was born in Washington D.C., and as the daughter of an Army enlisted father and lived in numerous locations growing up, including Germany, Arizona, Massachusetts, Iowa and Kansas. She relocated to Destin in 1999 where she met Bill. They have been together ever since. Christina obtained her cosmetology license in 2001 and now owns and operates Ya Ya’s salon in Destin.

Ed and

Debbie McMullen

Ed McMullen Jr., a native Floridian raised in Lakeland and a graduate of Florida Southern College, married Debbie Taylor in 1993. Debbie is from Evansville, Ind., and a graduate of the University of Southern Indiana.

Ed’s career work of more than 25 years in the resort real estate business brought the family to Northwest Florida in 2004 as the executive vice president of Legendary Realty.

Ed and Debbie live in Destin with their two children: Trace, 10, and Rachel, 7. The McMullen’s attend Village Baptist Church and enjoy family time fishing on the MOJO, beach days on Noriega Point, Golf at Regatta Bay and backyard barbecues with friends.

John and

Shelley Mead

John Mead is a native of Fort Walton Beach. He attended Choctawhatchee High School and received a B.A. degree in business administration with a minor in prelaw from Flagler College in St. Augustine. He received his juris doctorate from Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville. John practices law with his father, Michael William Mead, and his brother. Michael W. Mead Jr.

Shelley Mead is a native of DeLand. Following their marriage in July 2006, she moved to Fort Walton Beach. She has a B.A. degree in Political Science from the University of Florida. The couple enjoys boating, traveling and spending time with their families and friends.

Kevin and Nancy

O’Brien

Kevin O’Brien is a native of Kansas City, Mo. He attended Missouri State University and received his Bachelor of Science degree in International Business Administration, where he studied abroad at the London School of Economics. He founded Sherwood Equity, a financial services firm.

Nancy O’Brien, an Air Force child, came to the area in 1970. She graduated from Fort Walton Beach High School and attended colleges in California, South Carolina and Florida. She is actively involved in several charities and is the president and CEO of BancNet Mortgage. They are members of Fort Walton Yacht Club, live in Shalimar and attend both Shalimar United and Trinity Methodist.

Marc and Tara Starr

Marc is a long-time resident of the Fort Walton Beach area. His parents, Gordon and Nyla Starr, moved here from Denver for Gordon’s career. Marc graduated from Niceville High School and immediately went on to pursue his B.S.B.A. in Business Finance from the University of West Florida. Marc currently operates Northstar Turf and Landscape Supply with his business partner. He enjoys collecting and restoring classic automobiles such as Oldsmobiles, Mopars and Trans Ams.

Marc married his longtime sweetheart, Tara, in March.

Tara has also lived in the local area since the age of 3. Her parents, Declan and Dolly Quill, moved to the United States for military duty and have now retired here. Tara graduated from Choctawhatchee High School, and then obtained her B.A. in Psychology from the University of West Florida. She currently works as the international recruiter for Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, and participates in an executive capacity for United Way. Tara enjoys water sports, volleyball and working out. The couple currently reside in the Niceville area and plan to have children in the near future.

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