Suzi Fox, the adventurous, compassionate, kind-hearted leader behind the effort to protect sea turtles and their habitat on Anna Maria Island for 30 years, died Sept. 30 at FCA Blake Hospital in Bradenton, surrounded by her loving family.
She moved to Florida from Michigan in 1977 and worked her way from Miami-Dade and a job in Coconut Grove running sailboat rentals to Anna Maria Island, where she worked in hospitality, eventually working the front desk at Tortuga Inn. She began to volunteer in the 1990s for Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and eventually took over leadership.
She first applied for the state permit to monitor sea turtle nesting on AMI in 1996, after the previous director failed and lost the state permit.
Ms. Fox had been on a long road to recovery after a car crash in May that left her facing many surgeries and physical therapy, but she was determined to get back to the beach and to her advocacy for sea turtles.
Sea turtle nesting season — May-October — was already underway on AMI when the crash occurred.
Members of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch filled in for Fox in the subsequent months and they are left to form a succession plan for the permit with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Manatee County contract to maintain sea turtle data related to the beach renourishment project on AMI.
A service is being planned, but likely will not be announced until November. Memorial donations may be made at islandturtlewatch.com or by mail to AMITW, 6409 16th Ave. Drive W., Bradenton FL 34209.
Ms. Fox is survived by her son Dereck, wife Katharine and granddaughters Elizabeth and Ashley, all of North Carolina; sister Nanci and husband Gene Banman of California; sister Kendra of Gulfport; cousin Linda Erfourth of St. John, Michigan; and Spike the Wonder Dog, who is going to live with Nanci.
Her kindness, sense of humor and loving nature will be greatly missed by many.
Her legacy will be to sea turtles, that they forever have a habitat on Anna Maria Island.
And thanks to my friend Suzi, I have many exceptional lifetime memories and sea turtle adventures to recount.
— Bonner Joy