Remembering Suanne Thamm

When Suanne Thamm took on a project, any project, she jumped right in, got it done and got it done right.

And ask anybody who knew her when she ever wanted help. That was a good way to generate a good bit of head-scratching.

In May of 2012, her good friend Susan Hardee Steger asked her to help create an online community news service. It was much needed. What passed for journalism at that time in the life of Fernandina Beach often was little more than gossip.

Suanne had to think a little about that. She wasn’t afraid to take on anything. After all, she had been an important member of the Library of Congress staff. She had been on the board of the Florida State College of Jacksonville and several community boards focused on history and conservation.

So she jumped in and focused on covering city hall and getting it done right. Pretty soon, there wasn’t anything about city government she didn’t understand. That made her more than just a reporter. It made her a respected resource. And she liked to call her job “chronicalling,” to emphasize how seriously she took it.

Suanne and Susan pursued their project for 10 years until a retired media executive moved into town and bought the house next door to Suanne and her husband, Gerhart. They got together and talked the new guy into taking over. They both said that starting the Observer was one of the best, most satisfying things they ever did. The new guy got the hint, and now the Observer is a team of eight people.

But Susan Steger would be happy to tell you that none of it would have happened if Suanne Thamm had not jumped in at the beginning, got it done and got it done right. 

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