In Memory of James (Jim) L. Quinn and George W. Willson

We recently received a generous donation in the memory of Jim Quinn and George Willson. It was given by Mark and Carolyn (Carol) Gumula, now living in Sarasota. Mark had worked closely with the two men on conservation issues over the years and the trio sometimes referred to themselves as the Three Amigos. Mark provided us the following information:

Jim Quinn (September 3, 1949 – June 8, 2013) , was known as a real consensus builder with a little humor thrown in. He accomplished much for Florida’s environment and quality of life, particularly in the Florida Keys. For almost 40 years as a Planner, Jim served local, and then statewide, in departments of Community Affairs, Environmental Protection and Natural Resources in growth management and environmental planning. Having a kind and gentle nature, Jim was a devoted husband and father to his beloved wife Martha (Marty) and daughter, Alison; the apple of his eye. Jim was a longtime resident of Tallahassee. He enjoyed the outdoors, chasing birds, and butterflies. Indeed, when he passed away, he was hiking and enjoying nature.

George Willson (December 28, 1950 – July 29, 2019) was known as a consummate “deal maker”. A land conservationist extraordinaire, he was involved in saving over a million acres of Florida’s special places. George spent his entire career working from Tallahassee, dedicating four decades fighting to preserve Florida’s ecology. After seven years with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, he spent the rest of his career working with the Nature Conservancy (15 years) and other organizations/entities like Audubon Florida, who referred to him as “the encyclopedia of conservation knowledge”. Soft spoken, but driven by his love of nature, George was a dedicated husband to his loving wife, Lynne, and his children, daughter Ashley and son Michael and grandchildren Nolan, Sam and Cait. One of George’s favorite things in life was to journey through nature, marveling her beauty and wondering how he could do more to save Florida’s natural places.

Thank you, Mark and Carol, for this wonderful tribute and donation.