Leland L. “Doc” Loach was born in Dunlap, Tennessee in 1907. He was a father of three, one of four brothers, and a magician to many. He was in the Navy, the Army Service Forces- Corps of Engineers, a Chiropractor, and a Land Developer. He developed Chula Vista on the outskirts of Ft. Lauderdale after purchasing 275 acres. However, after eight years he was ready to move on to a new project after he and his wife Rosanna decided to take a day trip to Marco Island Florida to fish. They fell in love with the area and three weeks later, he and his wife bought 600 acres in a group of Mangroves near Marco Island for a price of $350 per acre.
That was the beginning of his dream that he called the Isle of Capri. After 12 years, he had not only built a road to this dream place of his, but he also tested and drilled 100’s of wells so the people of the Isle of Capri could have fresh water. He found some of the freshest water in the county and then in 1981, he sold Capri Water Works to Collier County. The first house he built there was for his wife Rosanna and his daughter Rosemary. He sold it for $50,000 which was a huge amount or so we thought, in the early 1960’s.
My dad “Doc” was known for not only his contribution to mankind but for his kindness to man. You can’t put in a couple of paragraphs or 100 pages what he meant to so many people, especially his family and friends of which there were many. He was honest, loved to laugh, had a beautiful bass voice, helped other people attain their dreams and was loved by so many. In 1987, he passed away after having two brain surgeries for Parkinsons Disease having accomplished his dream. Since then, the Isle of Capri has become an elegant community drawing people like it always has, from countries near and far. He made sure that every home was on a waterway or the Gulf of Mexico. Doc continues to make people happy.