Our Founders

Stanley Dale Squire
(1945–2021)

Stanley Squire was born in Winter Haven, Florida to Lynnward Maddox. Shortly after his birth, mother and son moved down to Miami, Florida and took up residence in the city’s central Negro district of Overtown. Stanley graduated with honors from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), one of Florida’s two Historically Black Colleges. He became the first black member of the Miami Chamber of Commerce. Stanley and Yvonne Boston married in 1970. Throughout his life Stanley became a number of firsts for Black people in Miami, serving on a number of civic and business organizations in Miami. In his spare time, he wrote short stories, gardened, and painted portraits. Later in life, Stanley switched over to working in the public school system. He sponsored local medical magnet programs to fast-track black high school students from Overtown into colleges and medical schools. 

In January 2006, a severe stroke forced Stanley into an early retirement. Now an elderly patient, Stanley often found himself going to hospital appointments, only to discover that many of the doctors treating him were former students. Despite giving him 6–9 months to live, Stanley went on teaching and mentoring young Black adults…for another 15 years. Surrounded by family, Stanley passed away at his home on January 19, 2021. He is survived by his wife; his son, Aurin; and his daughter, Dr. Piper Squire.

Yvonne Boston Squire
(1945)

Yvonne Boston was born in Columbia, South Carolina to Annie Hendrix and moved down to Miami in the early 1950s. She was raised in Overtown, Miami and went to the same school as Stanley. Yvonne was the first person in her family to go to college and married Stanley shortly after graduating from the Florida HBCU, Bethune Cookman University. She was one of the first Black computer programmers at Florida Power and Light Company and was one of the first women programmers in all of the state. Yvonne was truly one of Florida’s “Hidden Figures” of black women who served as the backbone of the state’s economic and industrial growth. Retiring in 2007, she dedicated her life to caring for Stanley and carrying on their life of philanthropy and charity.