Douglas Edward Thurmond

Douglas Edward Thurmond, 65, of Bradenton, Florida, passed away peacefully on February 18, 2026. Born on January 17, 1961, Doug was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida, in a loving family. He attended Sarasota High School and would later become an entrepreneur.

Doug was married for 32 years to his best friend and devoted wife, Denise Thurmond. Their marriage was full of humor, love, and commitment. She made their house their home, as he endlessly chased dreams and aspirations to provide for his family.

Doug is survived by his wife Denise Thurmond; his sisters Cindy and husband Michael Brown and Kristi and husband Dwayne Geib; his children, Rachel Thurmond, and Josh and wife Darlin Thurmond; and his grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father James “Bud” Thurmond and mother Helen (Kauffman) Thurmond.

Doug, was a car mechanic for the majority of his life. He loved all things cars. Straight out of high school he started off at Pelican Ford (now Sarasota Ford) where he met his wife, and would go on to open Doug’s Performance Automotive and later retired his mechanic career at his shop. Ambitious and driven, he loved being an entrepreneur, in real estate and car mechanics.

Doug had a love for racing and muscle cars. Many of his friendships started at the sound of his Hugger Orange 1969 Camaro. He was charismatic with a wild streak, but would later go from tire tracks to working tirelessly to provide for his family. In his later years from the stress of a physically demanding job, he would become a homebody and enjoy nights in with his wife. If you were to stop by any given evening, he would tell all his best stories of his past.

A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, February 28 at 11:00 a.m. at Restoration Church of Sarasota, 5614 Richardson Rd. in Sarasota, Florida.

Committal and burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Satchel’s Last Resort, Sarasota’s only true no kill animal shelter and sanctuary.