TALLAHASSEE \u2014 Former Florida State University President and House Speaker John Thrasher, whose career in politics and public service spanned more than three decades, died Friday after a battle with cancer, his family announced.
\nThrasher, 81, served in the House and the Senate before being tapped in 2014 as president of FSU, where he had earned his bachelor\u2019s and law degrees.<\/p>\n
During his tenure in the Legislature, Thrasher, a Republican, was a close ally of former Gov. Jeb Bush and helped carry out Bush\u2019s overhaul of the state\u2019s education system that included a controversial school-grading system and rigorous testing of student performance.
\n\u201cI am heartbroken. John was one of my best friends in life. I loved the guy. I am praying hard for the wonderful Jean and his children and grandchildren,\u201d Bush said in an email Friday morning to The News Service of Florida, referring to Thrasher\u2019s wife of 60 years, Jean.<\/p>\n
Thrasher, with Bush\u2019s backing, was elected to lead the Republican Party of Florida in 2010 after its former chairman, Jim Greer, was forced out amid a probe into the party\u2019s finances. Thrasher became speaker in 1998, the same year Bush was first elected \u2014 and as Republicans cemented what remains a dominance of state government.
\nThrasher died Friday morning in Orlando surrounded by his family, according to a statement released by spokeswoman Sarah Bascom.
\n\u201cThe family would like to thank everyone for their well wishes, visits and prayers during the last month and express their deep gratitude for the doctors and nurses who cared for him at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center, Orlando Health and Cornerstone Hospice,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
In addition to his wife, Thrasher is survived by daughter Jennifer Jordan and her husband, Don; son Jon Thrasher and his wife Millie; and daughter Julie Weinberg and her husband Mark. He also was a \u201cproud and devoted grandfather\u201d to eight grandchildren, Bascom said in an email.
\nAccolades for Thrasher, who represented parts of Northeast Florida in the Legislature and was fiercely devoted to FSU, poured in after the announcement of his death.
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\nThrasher\u2019s bid to become FSU president initially drew some opposition, in part, because of his lack of an academic background. But Thrasher, who as a lawmaker took numerous steps to support the university, such as helping start its medical school, became a widely respected president.<\/p>\n
Thrasher\u2019s presidency, which lasted until 2021, \u201cmarked a period of historic momentum for the university,\u201d according to FSU President Richard McCullough.
\n\u201cAs an alumnus, legislator, trustee and president, he devoted his life to elevating FSU\u2019s national reputation and helping the university reach new heights in student success, academic excellence and research,\u201d McCullough said in a statement. \u201cJai (McCullough\u2019s wife) and I feel incredibly fortunate and blessed to have known him and will always cherish the time we spent together at university events, out on the golf course or sharing a meal. John had a remarkable ability to bring people together with his warmth, humor and unmistakable charm.\u201d
\nThrasher was \u201cone of the greatest men I\u2019ve ever known,\u201d Gus Corbella, a lobbyist who served as director of the House Majority Office during Thrasher\u2019s two-year term as speaker, told the News Service in a text.
\nFlorida State University President John Thrasher congratulates faculty, staff and students on FSU\u2019s rise to No. 18 in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of national public universities<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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