Former Naples council member Linda Penniman dies at 83

Former Naples City Council member Linda Penniman died Oct. 20, just three weeks after resigning on the day of her husband’s death. 

Penniman, 83, died at 4:25 a.m. Oct. 20 at Moorings Park, according to her son, Nick Penniman Jr., who said that although there were signs of cancer, a doctor who conducted a CT scan this week attributed her death to broken-heart syndrome, a condition that can occur in couples who are “very, very close.” 

“The body is so overwhelmed with hormones — stress-related hormones, grief-related hormones — that it reduces the heart’s capacity to keep fluid moving throughout the body … and the body just starts shutting down,” her son said. “She was an amazing woman and a dedicated servant of the public good. … She left an incredible amount of public service in her wake. She worked 12 to 14 hours a day for the city.” 

Although environmental issues were a passion for both parents, his mother’s recent focus on City Council had been affordable housing, ensuring city workers and residents could afford to live in Naples. 

“She took it incredibly seriously, and it kept her going until 83 years old,” he said, adding that he called her the Energizer Bunny. 

Former and current council members say Penniman leaves behind a lasting legacy of public service, a community made better by her dedication and many colleagues and friends who will deeply miss her.

Naples City Manager Gary Young echoed those sentiments in a statement, remembering Penniman for her generosity, strength, kindness and dedication to the community.

“Rest easy, cherished public servant. Your work here is done, and we are all better for having known you,” Young said.

Penniman served more than seven years on City Council during separate terms from 2014 to 2019 and again from 2024 until she resigned Sept. 29. She served as vice mayor and chair of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency. She’d even hinted she might run again if she wasn’t satisfied with her replacement. 

Linda and her husband, Nick Penniman, 88, former publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, were considered a powerhouse couple. They worked on environmental issues with Conservancy of Southwest Florida and helped expose government wrongdoing through the Florida Trident and Florida Center for Government Accountability, which they helped found and fund with Barbara Petersen, former president of the First Amendment Foundation in Tallahassee. 

Former Vice Mayor Terry Hutchison, who left the council in February after eight years because of term limits and is running for Penniman’s seat in the Feb. 2 election, said it was a privilege to work alongside Penniman in her roles as vice mayor, CRA chair and on numerous advisory committees to which council members appointed her. 

“We knew Linda would represent Naples well, and she never disappointed,” Hutchison said. “She genuinely loved serving Naples residents and brought an unwavering commitment to the community she called home. 

“Linda paid meticulous attention to detail and had a particular passion for environmental protection, storm resilience and all matters involving water,” he added. “She approached these issues with thoughtfulness, determination and a deep understanding of their importance to Naples and its future. Linda may have been small in stature, but no one had a bigger heart or a stronger commitment to making Naples the best possible home for its residents.” 

She had an extraordinary command of the English language, he said, and a “remarkable knack for using words that rarely appear in everyday conversation. More than once, a discussion with Linda sent me to the dictionary — not because I disagreed with her, but because I needed to make sure I fully understood her point. Thanks to Linda, my vocabulary grew, and I was reminded that serving on the City Council could occasionally double as an English lesson.” 

Former Council member Doug Finlay, who served from 2010 to 2018, said he was stunned to hear about her death, adding that they’d just texted last week and planned to meet for lunch. 

“Our relationship began when she invited me to join her on the MPOA board,” Finlay said of the Moorings Property Owners Association. “From there, we both became ever more involved in city affairs. We were strong supporters of each other in our City Council candidacies. Subsequently, we developed an ever stronger friendship. Like her husband Nick, she never stopped devoting her energy to make our community better.” 

Former council member Beth Petrunoff, who stepped down after one term this year, said the closeness of the couple’s deaths “tells you how much she was in love with Nick. … They just couldn’t live without each other.” 

Despite being in her 80s, Petrunoff said, Penniman was always busy and “always had the best of the community in mind. … If everybody acted like those two and gave of themselves like that with volunteerism, we’d be a well-oiled machine.” 

Penniman was recognized as a Woman of Initiative by Collier Community Foundation in 2015, and five years later, she and her husband received the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s highest honor, the Eagle Award, for their work on environmental issues, philanthropic initiatives and grassroots activism. 

The couple, who were married 57 years, moved to Naples in the 1990s. They lived in The Moorings, later moved to Grey Oaks and then to the Moorings Park senior living community. 

Before she ran for City Council, Penniman served on the city’s Planning Advisory Board. While on Council, she served on the county’s Coastal Advisory Committee, including as chair, when she influenced the committee and Board of County Commissioners to shift their focus from beach nourishment to resiliency. 

She served on numerous committees, boards and task forces, including Collier Citizens’ Council, Calusa Waterkeeper, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Smart Growth Now, League of Women Voters and Greater Naples Leadership. 

The city plans to formally recognize Penniman’s service, with details to be announced later.

Penniman is survived by her children, Rebecca and Nick, and five grandchildren: Lindy, Sadie, Nick, Mac and Winnie. A memorial service is being planned for early 2027.