Jupiter Island couple leaves legacy of protection for the water they loved

July 28, 2025

Pictured (left to right): Frances W. Thorsen and her husband J. Gwynne Thorsen

The Everglades Foundation is honored to announce that it has received a bequest of $1 million from the estate of J. Gwynne and Frances W. Thorsen — a significant legacy gift that will have a profound impact on our mission to restore and protect America's Everglades. 

The Thorsens split their time between Hobe Sound, Florida, and Nantucket, Massachusetts. Gwynne Thorsen was a renowned designer whose eye for detail and love of the water influenced many beloved homes and features in both seaside communities. Frances Thorsen passed away in November 2018, followed by Gwynne Thorsen in December 2024. They named The Everglades Foundation as a beneficiary in a trust distributing their assets. 

Their memory will live on through the work of The Everglades Foundation and the future generations that will benefit from a restored and protected Everglades. To create a legacy in the Thorsens' honor, The Everglades Foundation Board of Directors has directed their extraordinary gift to our new endowment. The Thorsen Endowment Fund will support our mission in perpetuity — a stabilizing force that ensures there will always be talented science, policy and education experts working on behalf of this national treasure.

Bequests and other planned gifts leave a lasting imprint on The Everglades Foundation and America’s Everglades. The Everglades Legacy Society recognizes supporters who have named The Everglades Foundation in their wills and estate plans, life insurance policies, and other ways of giving. 

Learn more here: Charitable Giving | The Everglades Foundation