A Tale of Two Sisters

For nearly a decade, our community foundation has invited individuals and families we work with to behind-the-scenes tours of local nonprofit organizations to gain a more in-depth understanding of their work. Over the years we have visited charter schools, scientific research organizations, and many human services organizations to learn about the issues they aim to solve, or possibilities they imagine for a stronger community. These tours even continued virtually throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to remain connected and to keep abreast of the evolving nonprofit landscape in our region.

Colloquially known as “Third Thursdays” – as the programs take place the third Thursday of certain months – the 2025 series highlighted arts organizations that are cornerstones of our cultural repertoire in Sarasota County that were included in the legacy of two very special sisters, Muriel O’Neil and Dr. Gertrude Hight.

Founded on Love

Sisters Muriel O’Neil and Gertrude Hight first fell in love with the performing arts years ago, when the pair moved to Sarasota upon retiring. Their story is legendary: born in Chicago, they both started off as writers in New York City. Muriel enjoyed a distinguished publishing career, working at American Heritage, The New York Times, and a spattering of magazines. Gertrude returned to school late in life to study psychology and finished her career as Dr. Hight, psychologist.

Childless when the sisters retired, they purchased separate condos in the same building overlooking Sarasota Bay and spent their golden years as fixtures of the local arts and culture scene, but perhaps in unexpected places. They served as ushers, volunteered behind-the-scenes, and built deep relationships with team members at the organizations they cherished.

Florida Studio Theatre was a favorite of the sisters, and FST Managing Director Rebecca Hopkins recalls Muriel would eat lunch with staff on the back patio.

“She [Muriel] was known throughout FST for her fun- loving and warm spirit,” Hopkins shared at a tour of the theatre in January 2025. “They [Muriel and Gertrude] attended shows, of course, but their passion for the theatre ran deeper; they volunteered, became donors, and befriended staff.”

When Muriel passed away in 2013, she left her estate to Gertrude. But Gertrude, not needing the money, came to imagine a bigger vision with guidance from her estate attorney, Susan Hecker, now retired from Williams Parker.

A Legacy Grows

Hecker was key to helping Gertrude consider greater possibilities on how to invest Muriel’s estate so that the organizations she and her sister enjoyed so thoroughly would benefit in ways that they may not have imagined.

“Gertrude wanted to honor her sister in a way that gave back to the arts organizations that Muriel had been volunteering with and had been quietly supporting for many, many years,” Hecker said.

Over time, exactly how that support would manifest would depend on the needs of those organizations and the needs of the community, with guidance from the Community Foundation.

With that counsel, Gertrude established a fund in her sister’s name: The Muriel O’Neil Fund for the Performing Arts at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The fund was created to give to specific arts organizations, including FST, as well as Asolo Repertory Theatre, The Sarasota Ballet, The Sarasota Players, and WEDU (see below for details on support).

The community foundation’s vice president of philanthropy, Jay Young, said this year’s tour series has resonated with attendees. The idea of working collaboratively with nonprofit organizations to create new spaces and new programs that neither of the sisters would have been aware of in their lifetimes instills confidence in the foundation’s long-term ability to work on behalf of those who have passed with fidelity.

“We are honored to be the trusted stewards of Gertrude’s vision and to help her sister’s name carry on—just as we are for so many others who wish to leave a lasting mark on our community,” Young said. “The community needs and those of nonprofit organizations is always evolving and so the possibilities of a legacy are truly endless.”

Hecker said that the projects and programs supported by the Muriel O’Neil Fund for the Performing Arts has reached far beyond any early concepts.

“Even though I don’t think that either of them ever would have imagined their family names on a billboard on the side of a building, I think they would have focused greatly on all the good things happening inside that building, every day,” Hecker said.