Local Folks: Rebekah Suwak-Worsham

Local Folks: Rebekah Suwak-Worsham
Rebekah Suwak-Worsham, Surfer’s Beach, Puerto Rico, June 2021

As the vice president of marketing and communications for Goodwill of North Florida for the past two years, Rebekah Suwak-Worsham spends most of her work time behind the scenes. Other than at grand openings for new locations and at the annual Striving to Succeed event, which she described as “a ton of fun,” Rebekah is rarely seen in public while in her VP role. However, when she’s not on work time, Rebekah is anything but hidden! She is active and engaged within the local community and well beyond.

Rebekah is married to David Worsham, and as much as the duo loves Jacksonville, they often embark on exciting getaways. Their list is long. In January 2021, David proposed to Rebekah while 1,500 feet in the air on a hot-air balloon ride in New Mexico, overlooking plains with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop. In June of the same year, they spent their honeymoon at Surfer’s Beach in Puerto Rico. “The sunrise there is absolutely breathtaking,” she said.

The Worshams, Costa Rica, summer 2022
The Worshams, Costa Rica, summer 2022

Last summer, for their anniversary, Rebekah and her husband went hiking in Costa Rica. One of their treks included wearing life vests, swimming through rivers and pulling on ropes to make their way to La Leona Waterfall at the base of a volcano. “It was pretty wild,” Rebekah said.

In August 2022, the couple went on a music tour. They drove around North Carolina, following their favorite band, Umphrey’s McGee. Rebekah has seen them 80 times. “And my husband is in the 75-80 range,” she said. They’ve seen them out west, up north in New York and Boston, and all over Florida. The band comes to St. Augustine every summer. Of course, the Worshams don’t miss that! The couple met at a concert and like to keep their shared hobby alive.

To fulfill lifelong dreams they’d both had since childhood, Rebekah and David visited Yellowstone National Park, where they witnessed bison and coyotes in the snow. Though the bears were still in hibernation, Rebekah found thermal steam pools and the fact that a supervolcano hidden beneath Yellowstone could erupt again fascinating. “Honestly, it was hard to leave, it was so perfect,” she said.

David and Rebekah Worsham with skipjack, July 2022
David and Rebekah Worsham with skipjack, July 2022

“Fishing is also a big part of our lives, and we love to fish for sport,” Rebekah said. She finds being out on the water life-giving. Annually, she observes her in-laws’ family tradition of spending a week swimming, boating and fishing in Marathon, down in the Keys. Last year, she and David caught a huge skipjack.

No matter how far or near Rebekah and David travel, they always return to Jacksonville. In part, it’s for their pets. The Worshams have two adopted cats that Rebekah admits to being obsessed with. She and David take Crash and Nutmeg for walks in Boone Park in cat backpacks, about which Rebekah said, “We think they’re cool.”

Rebekah Suwak-Worsham and Crash, Boone Park, September 2022
Rebekah Suwak-Worsham and Crash, Boone Park, September 2022

Six years ago, Rebekah and her friend Kate Jolley began a monthly book club of their own because they didn’t feel like they belonged in other book clubs, desiring to read mainly memoirs and autobiographies rather than standard novels. Today, their nameless club consists of nine women who have read a total of 55 books together. “It’s a very uplifting, inspiring group,” Rebekah said, although she admits that many of the subjects they read about are considered difficult topics. For example, one recent pick was about the impact of forced birth control on young, Black females in Alabama. The club members choose books that educate them and encourage strong discussion that help them better understand the world around them. Other books are much lighter in subject matter, like a recent memoir about a woman who cooked a variety of fruit.

Local Book Club: Rebekah Suwak-Worsham, Danielle Russell, Marie Bogh, Kate Jolley, and Jessica Garske
Local Book Club: Rebekah Suwak-Worsham, Danielle Russell, Marie Bogh, Kate Jolley, and Jessica Garske

“We’re very into music and the arts,” Rebekah added. She and David attend live music shows at downtown’s 1904 Music Hall, enjoy performances by the Jacksonville Symphony, and look forward to plays at the Moran Theater.

Last Halloween, the couple visited the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens for Spooktacular. “It was such a fun experience!” Rebekah said. Many weekends find them playing on Atlantic Beach with extended family; they regularly fish on the St. Johns River and they try out new restaurants around Jacksonville as ofetn as possible.

Rebekah has been living in the Riverside-Avondale area for six years. David grew up in Venetia near Ortega. They recently purchased the Avondale house they’ve been living in for five years. “So, we’re stayin’!” Rebekah said.

By Mary Wanser
Resident Community News

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