Tom Warner, Florida's first solicitor general and one of the state's most beloved public servants during the 1990s, died at home Friday surrounded by family after a long battle with cancer. He was 70.
Newly elected Attorney General Ashley Moody praised the Stuart attorney in a statement Monday: “Tom Warner not only ... established the significant functions for the Office of Solicitor General, he trail-blazed in many successful cases while representing the State of Florida. Tom Warner’s many years of public service have left a great mark on our state ..." she said.
Besides representing the State of Florida before the United States and Florida Supreme Courts in civil cases involving constitutional issues and other significant matters, Warner was also a member of the state Legislature representing mostly Martin County in the Florida House, from 1992-1999. At that time -- though a Republican and a member of the minority party for half his years in the House, he was nevertheless designated by the Miami Herald as one of the six most influential members of the Florida House of Representatives.
Warner is remembered as a fierce adversary when he was advocating for legislation or a particular case, but also as a man always willing to listen to all sides. He was highly respected as a fearless consumer advocate and would often consult with the attorney general. Said his longtime legislative aide,Carolyn Timmann, "I remember he would go toe to toe with other legislators or lobbyists to tackle controversial issues on behalf of the public, dealing with telecommunications, the predatory payday loan industry, tort and workers’ compensation reform and even following Dale Earnhardt's death, the privacy of autopsy photos.
John Phelps, iconic 20-year clerk of the House, calls Warner "one of the finest legislators I have ever known. I missed him greatly when he left the House of Representatives. Though I did not see him often after that, I have an abiding memory of the strength of his service and his friendship. It must be said he did his part faithfully and fully for the citizens of Florida."
Warner finished his career at the Palm Beach County law firm Carlton Fields practicing law but also mentoring young attorneys. "His mentorship shaped many legal careers," the firm said.
Warner was born in Rochester, N.Y., grew up in Coral Gables, "fishing and hunting in the Everglades and playing tight end at Coral Gables High, where he was on the first State High School Football Championship team," according to his obituary in Tuesday's Stuart News. A double Gator, he attended the University of Florida on a football scholarship and then law school.
Settling in Stuart in 1973, Warner was a founding partner of Warner, Fox, Seeley & Dungey. He served as city attorney for Stuart from 1984-1988, at the start of downtown's most dramatic revitalization period. He was one of the first loud voices to speak up about protecting the Indian River Lagoon, St. Lucie River and conservation lands.
He was fond of telling his friends his greatest accomplishment was a cross-country trip in 1971 that took him to the Applewood Inn in Glenwood Springs, Colo., where he met his wife Martha, the love of his life and his best friend. The two were married for 46 years -- considered something of a "power couple" in Stuart -- he wandering the corridors of the state Capitol, she a Bob Martinez-appointee to the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal where she remains to this day. The couple raised three children, Susan, Patricia, and Edward.
Tom Warner was best known to those closest to him not for his 45 years of career accomplishment, but for his humility, Renaissance spirit and abiding devotion to helping others.
"Tom is the only Gator I ever liked," quipped Florida State grad Suzy Hutcheson, for the last 46 years president/CEO of nonprofit Helping People Succeed, Inc. Hutcheson was one of Warner's oldest friends in Stuart. "He was on my board, and I can honestly tell you, I never knew anyone who did more for people with disabilities. He just wanted to. He was a natural."
She said he once took a risk, hired "Ruth," a client with multiple disabilities whom most considered too immobile to put to work. He gave her a scooter to help her get around, made her his microfilmer, treated her like every other valuable employee, even let her lead the Legislature in the Pledge of Allegiance. "Ruth once was selected as the employee of the year," Hutcheson said. "He even enticed his staff to help her learn how to read. "He was always pulling me aside, introducing me to important people who would help our mission." Today Ruth owns a four-bedroom home, gets a state pension and is self-sufficient in retirement.
"They don't make 'em like Tom anymore," Hutcheson lamented.
Timmann, one of Warner's closest and oldest colleagues, now clerk of the circuit court and comtroller for Martin County, is still a familiar face in Tallahassee, largely -- she insists --because of Warner's mentoring.
"I had the incredible opportunity to have worked for Tom Warner for about 13 years," Timmann remembers, "including as his legislative aide and in the Solicitor General’s Office. But our friendship spanned across several decades and I consider him a remarkable mentor throughout my entire career. ...
"When Tom asked me to serve as his legislative aide, I declined because I didn’t think I had the knowledge to do the job he deserved. He told me that loyalty, ability and character were more important than technical knowledge. I could learn how to do the job. That began our long partnership and without a doubt, forged my career path in public service.
"We had a lot of time to talk during long drives back and forth to Tallahassee for the seven years he served in the House," she said. "Every year, we memorized the entire directory of House members so we would know their backgrounds and interests to make it easier to navigate the process. We took turns driving and working so we could read every bill, research every issue and stay ahead of the crowd. He also wrote his own legislation and amendments, often late at night or on those drives. He was well-known for his intellect and how quickly he grasped the most complex and wide range of issues.
"It was almost impossible for anyone to get ahead of him on any topic."
Timmann said, despite all of his professional and public service achievements, the most important things to Warner were his beloved family. "He was also one of the most loyal friends anyone could ever wish for and his friends came from all backgrounds and philosophies," she said. "He had a great sense of humor and loved pulling pranks. Frankly, he loved learning about what other people thought, what they liked, and what they cared about.
"He seemed so invincible and larger than life because he lived every moment to its absolute fullest," she recalled. "He leaves a tremendous void."
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith
