Thamm: Observer founder, local historian

Suanne Thamm, co-founder of the Fernandina Observer and local historian, died Friday following a long illness. She was 78 years old.

Thamm was a native of Chautauqua County, New York, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria, Virgina, in 1994.

Along with Susan Steger, she co-founded the Fernandina Observer in 2012 and reported on local government agencies and other topics for the next 10 years.

Prior to reporting for the Observer, Thamm  occasionally mailed out opinion pieces called "THAMM-O-GRAMMS" to locals. She continued penning commentary articles for the Observer. She also authored a book, "Saving Fernandina 1972-78."  The book highlights the transformation of the downtown area during a crucial time for historic preservation in Fernandina Beach. The book's content reflects the community's dedication to maintaining its unique sense of place and historical character. 

Thamm earned an A.B. degree cum laude in Soviet/East European Area Studies from Syracuse University; she later pursued graduate studies in demography at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

She worked for the Library of Congress for 25 years in various capacities, including research, public service, collections management, and technical processing. She retired in 1993 as Assistant Executive Officer in the Collections Services Department.

Her post-retirement volunteer activities are many and varied. She has served on several state, regional and local boards of organizations devoted to history and historic preservation, including the Florida Trust, Northeast Florida Preservation, the Amelia Island Museum of History, the Gen. Duncan Lamont Clinch Historical Society, and the Amelia Island Fernandina Restoration Foundation.

She established and co-chaired the local Veterans History Project at the Amelia Island Museum, a partnering institution with the Library of Congress. Civic activities include serving on the Historic District Council for the city of Fernandina Beach, two City Charter Review Committees, and the steering committees for both Vision 2000 and Forward Fernandina.  She has served on the District Board of Trustees for Florida State College at Jacksonville since 1999 and currently holds the position of Vice Chair for Nassau County.

Thamm was married in 1971 to author Gerhardt Thamm, who recently passed several weeks ago. The couple resided in historic downtown.

Funeral service for Suanne and Gerhardt Thamm is July 22, 2025  at 11 a.m.  Jacksonville National Cemetery