Friends And Associates Remember Conch Color Publisher Tom Oosterhoudt
By Terry Schmida
Numerous residents of the Southernmost City were this weekend fondly remembering philanthropist, newspaper publisher, and boulevardier Tom Oosterhoudt, who died Friday morning in a South Florida hospital, at the age of 65.
Oosterhoudt had been suffering debilitating pain for years, as the result of spinal surgery.
“Tom was a very good friend, and made many important contributions to our community,” said Butterfly Conservatory co-owner George Fernandez, who had spent time with the former city commissioner just days before his passing. “He had a real passion for Conch Color, and really wanted to show the positive things about Key West. He was very much opposed to the sensationalization of the news. Tom truly had a kind heart, and was a very special person. The news of his death is very sad, heartbreaking news.”
Fernandez recalled taking Oosterhoudt to see a performance by female impersonator Randy Roberts, early in March, at the Tennessee Williams Theatre.
“He asked me to go with him, and I was happy to accept,” Fernandez said. “When I came to pick him up at his house, I could see how difficult it was for him just to get ready to go. He was in so much pain. But once we got to Tennessee Williams, he was really in his element. He took lots of photos and went around talking to everybody. He really loved that part of his job.”
Oosterhoudt moved to Key West in the early 1980s, following a stint as publisher of a pioneering gay-oriented publication in Atlanta. Printing the pro-gay periodical in a southern city was not without its risks, Oosterhoudt found, and he frequently recalled one incident where he found himself quite literally under fire, by a bigoted gunman, angry about the liberal tone of the publication.
Oosterhoudt survived the encounter, and eventually quit Atlanta – but not his appreciation of the printed word.
His constant support of local events, especially those with an artistic bent, were the subject of a regular photo-driven feature in the entertainment section of the Key West Citizen, during the late 1990s, entitled “Out And About with Tom Oosterhoudt.”
That column came to an end when Oosterhoudt tossed his hat in the ring of the District 1 race for Key West City Commission, in 1999. The would-be pol’s gambit was successful, and the “Colorful Commish,” as he dubbed himself, served for six years on the body. He also resumed, and expanded his Citizen column, which he compiled up until his electoral defeat, in 2005.
Both during his time on the commission and afterward, Oosterhoudt, an outspoken Democrat, cultivated a reputation for reaching across the aisle, befriending Republicans such as U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, whose district formerly included the Florida Keys.
He also expended considerable time and energy supporting the launch of the Key West Symphony Orchestra, now known as the South Florida Symphony.
“Tom was a walking angel among us,” symphony representatives wrote in a recent online statement. “Through his words and in every cell of his body he lived a life of service.”
Key West businesswoman Linda Russin on Saturday reflected on Oosterhoudt’s contribution to the community.
“Tom did this one really great thing,” said Russin, owner of the Island 106.9 FM radio station. “He would put what many people considered to be small things in his paper. Many other publications would ignore things like first communions and bar mitzvahs, but Tom always found room for them, and those things are important to the families. After Children’s Day he would run a picture of every kid who wore a costume. I know that meant a lot to many people.”
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