Tollyn J. Twitchell

1928 - 2020

Twitchell, Tollyn J.
Oct 2, 1928 - Nov 3, 2019
Tollyn J. Twitchell passed away on Nov. 3, 2019 in Gambier, Ohio, age 91. The son of prominent Sarasota architect Ralph Twitchell and Lucienne, neé Glorieux (later wife of the Unitarian minister, McKarl Nielsen), Tollyn grew up in Sarasota and attended the Out-of-Door Academy. He was a student at The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT, from 1943-1947 and then studied architecture at MIT, graduating with an MA in 1953. He married Anne Stinson in 1952 and they had five children. After serving three years in the Air Force as a pilot with the rank of first lieutenant, he returned to Sarasota in 1956 to practice architecture. He first partnered with Sarasota School of Architecture pioneers Ralph Twitchell and Jack West, and then set up Twitchell and Allen Architects-Planners, PA and later The Twitchell Group Architects, PA. Over a long career, he designed many prominent buildings in Sarasota and throughout Florida. These include the Carousel House, the Unitarian Church on Fruitville Road, Gulf Gate Elementary School, Jefferson Center, and the Sailor Circus arena. He was also a real estate developer (South Winds, Pine Shores, Sorrento Lake). In 1980 he married Robina Magee with whom he had a son. He is remembered for his love of gardening and support for the arts. He is survived by his wife, six children, Jeffrey, Karen, Linda, Carol, Jackie and Drew, seven grandchildren, his brother Terry and two half-siblings, Debbie Reed and Aaron Twitchell.