Boone Coleman a longtime West Portsmouth business owner, died Friday in Bradenton, Fla. He was 77.

According to his wife, Joyce, she and her husband were on vacation and visiting relatives when he became sick earlier this week and was hospitalized.

"We came down (to Bradenton) two weeks ago. He has a brother here, and we have a home here," Joyce Coleman said. "We were visiting with his brother and he went into congestive heart failure."

Boone Coleman founded Boone Coleman Construction and had been in business for 56 years in West Portsmouth.

Joyce Coleman said Boone was the most wonderful man in the world.

"He was a man that loved his community, he loved children, he done anything he could for the children of the community," Joyce Coleman said. "This is and will continue to be a great loss to our family and community."

Longtime family friend Scott Davis said Boone Coleman had a big impact on the community.

"He donated a lot to the ball teams, the kids in the area. He provided a lot of work for the people that lived over here (West Portsmouth)," Davis said. "He will be missed greatly in this community."

"He was a big community supporter, anything that had to do with West Portsmouth, Boone was always right there either finically or with his equipment or with people, he was always giving," Davis said.

Funeral arrangement are pending at the Roger W. Davis Funeral Home in West Portsmouth.