Nicole Wertheim, a pillar of Miami’s philanthropic scene whose name is etched on university buildings across South Florida and beyond, died April 20 at age 82 aboard the residential ship The World. Her daughters learned of her death at almost the exact moment SocialMiami was honoring her as one of its Philanthropists of the Year at an awards dinner in Brickell, according to SocialMiami. The family said services will be private.
The ship’s crew told daughter Erica Wertheim Zohar that Nicole died in her room while The World was en route to Polynesia. The family said the death was heart-related, according to the Miami Herald.
SocialMiami has listed Wertheim among its 2026 Philanthropists of the Year, naming her as the honoree tied to Florida International University at a dinner held at Delilah in Brickell. The organization’s event page includes her name among the honorees, according to SocialMiami.
A lifetime of major gifts to universities
Wertheim and her then-husband, Dr. Herbert Wertheim, used their philanthropy to reshape campuses and academic programs across the country. A $10 million naming donation funded the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences at Florida International University, according to the FIU Foundation.
In 2022, the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation made a $100 million lead gift that renamed UF Scripps, the largest gift in the University of Florida’s history, as reported by Forbes. The foundation also committed major sums to institutions outside Florida, including a $50 million pledge to UC Berkeley’s School of Optometry and a $25 million lead gift to UC San Diego’s public health school. Both universities have posted details of those commitments, according to UC Berkeley and UC San Diego.
Family and memorial
In a family memorial, her daughters, Erica Wertheim Zohar and Dr. Vanessa Wertheim, wrote that Nicole “was already pursuing a final horizon” and described the timing of her death, coinciding with Miami’s formal recognition of her philanthropy, as a “poignant irony.” She is survived by her daughters and grandchildren Elan, Ethan, Alexa and Julia; the family has said services will be private, according to the Miami Herald.
Legal backdrop
Wertheim filed for divorce from Herbert Wertheim in July 2023, a move that drew media attention given the couple’s shared family foundation and high-profile giving. The filing was reported by national outlets including Forbes, where coverage noted how large-scale family philanthropy can intersect, sometimes awkwardly, with private legal disputes.
Colleagues and university leaders have said Wertheim’s gifts shifted campus priorities and launched programs that will carry her name for years to come. Public tax filings for the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation are available through ProPublica, and recipient institutions continue to highlight her support on their news pages as they memorialize her impact.
