MEMORIALS
Thoughts and memories of fellow members
125 topics in this forum
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RIP Charles Wychgel
by Phoenikakias- 14 replies
- 11.1k views
Last Friday has passed away Charles Wychgel, who participated also in this forum under his first name. He was a great palm collector and a great man, having one of the most extended palm collections in Europe. His garden is situated in southern Portugal. He made many seed donations both to individuals and to European Palm Society, helping it thus to raise needed funds to keep its web site alive. I only knew him a little, as I met him personally only once in the EPS 2012 meeting in Rome. So what I have just written is not based on friendship but rather on known deeds and achievements, which is imo the biggest honor of one's memory. My deepest sympathies to his family, and…
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Carol Hooper
by DoomsDave- 1 follower
- 14 replies
- 3.9k views
Everyone: I was advised yesterday by Don Hodel that Carol Hooper, formerly of La Habra, passed away yesterday at about 11 a.m. in a hospice. She was there for an inoperable brain tumor. Will advise as to times, places, etc. of memorial services, if any. Until very recently, Carol and her husband Louis lived "down the hill" from me in La Habra, and I had occasion to spend many a happy afternoon with them. Occasionally, I had taken pictures and posted them on Palm Talk. RIP Carol, miss you.
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Karel Havlicek
by bgl- 13 replies
- 11k views
Karel Havlicek died very recently of a heart attack at his home in Hilo. Finding out about his death left me with a great sense of loss and sadness. Karel was definitely one of the greatest plant lovers I have ever known. Karel’s son, Pavel, is currently here on the Big Island and informed me that there will be a “Memorial gathering to celebrate Karel’s life”. It will take place at 12 noon on Saturday April 26th at Karel’s home in Waiakea-uka in Hilo and it will be very informal. If you plan on attending but don’t have the address, send me a PM. (The address is however listed in the HIPS roster). I first met Karel in January 2001. This was at the Annual PSSC Banquet in…
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Lucinda McCartney
by Cindy Adair- 2 followers
- 13 replies
- 2.8k views
I am sorry to tell everyone that Lucinda McCartney, mother of IPS Director Robert Blenker, passed away recently, unexpectedly, following surgery. She was an amazing person and many of you have met her in Florida or at the many IPS Biennials she attended. Besides her keen interest in palms, she recently started bee keeping, was a journalist, pilot and realtor who loved to fish. I can also attest to her cooking skills and overall excellent hospitality as I enjoyed my several visits to her lovely guest suite. I will never forget the first Florida trip we took in 2014, beginning near Sarasota and visiting many private and public gardens. Here are just a …
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Jerry Hunter
by Gtlevine- 13 replies
- 4.8k views
My very close and special friend Jerry Hunter has passed away last Friday. Jerry was a legend in the nursery and horticulture business here in San Diego and has contributed so much to all of us. He was the owner of Rancho Soledad Nursery and Rancho Tissue Culture. Jerry sent me to Madagascar back in 2007 to search for new palms which I will never forget. I will miss you Jerry! Gary
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I Miss my Mom
by Jeff Searle- 11 replies
- 6.1k views
Wal came up with an excellent suggestion. So, I would like to say that my mother passed away eleven years ago and I still miss her so much. My parents were married for 47 years and and had got married after only meeting and getting to know each other for 3 months. My dad still gets choked up if she comes into conversations. We all do for that matter. She was a great mom, well loved by many,many friends and volunteered thousands of hours with her church. She worked in the hospital for over 35 years as a register nurse, she had a big heart and loved to help others. To this day, she comes up in our thoughts quite often. Jeff Searle
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Teddi Buhler has passed away
by PalmGuyWC- 11 replies
- 6.6k views
I recently learned that Teddi Buhler passed away in December. She was a long time Executive Secetary of the Palm Society in its earlier years and a founding member of the Palm Society. She died at the age of 93. For many years Teddi practicly ran the Palm Society and was responsible for sending Principes to it's members which was an overwhilming job for one person. Teddy was one of the most dynamic, energetic persons I've ever known. As Secretary she was on the board of directors for many years, and she was always inquisitive and had many usefull suggestions. Her cheerfull personality always spiced up some of the boring board meetings. Unfortunately, living in …
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Eva Whitelock has passed away
by Cycadcenter- 11 replies
- 7.1k views
Loran Whitelock's wife Eva passed away today after a long battle with cancer.
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Gertrude Cole
by TikiRick- 11 replies
- 7.2k views
Gertrude Cole was an early pioneer for the South Florida Palm Society. She lived in Ft. Lauderdale near the beaches and was a widow for many years. I had the pleasure of touring her garden in 2003, when I helped her clean up some of the mounting (palm) debris. Although her physical health was failing, her desire and excitement toward palms was not. She gave me a tall Ptychosperma sp (clustering species) of which I have in my collection. I will always remember her generosity. Do you have any more information about Gertrude? All I know is that she attempted to leave her estate to the Palm Society, but that never happened for whatever reason. I believe she was origin…
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David Romney...Coconut Authority
by Jeff Searle- 1 follower
- 11 replies
- 5.4k views
It is with a very sad heart that I pass the news along that Mr. David Romney has passed away a couple of days ago here in south Florida. I believe he was born in Jamaica where he lived many years and worked with the government in the study of coconuts, lethal yellowing and all the developments of newer varieties over the years. He , his wife Shirley and daughter Carol lived in the Homestead area for at least the last 30-40 years or so. The Romney's were always a big vendor at the Fairchild Botanical Gardens palm sales each and every year where many varieties of coconuts could be found. David was a true legend. Over the years, he wrote numerous papers, journals and books. …
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RIP Inge Hoffmann
by Eric in San Jose- 11 replies
- 4.7k views
I've never posted on Palmtalk before, but it has come to my attention that one of the people responsible for the early mass distribution of palm seeds has died. I believe it would be hard to have palm garden that hasn't had a seed from Inge Hoffmann. She passed away after a long illness with cancer in San Leandro.
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Memorial project for Bob Riffle
by Jana- 10 replies
- 6.6k views
Hi everyone, It's so nice to come back here after a long absence and still see familiar names. I'm very pleased to have a project to announce that I hope Bob Riffle's friends will want to support. As many of you know, Bob lived in Houston for many years and I remember him speaking fondly of the Mercer Arboretum in Humble on many occasions. Since Bob's passing, I have become friends with Linda Gay, who is the director of Mercer Arboretum and also a good friend of Bob's. Now that I have finally visited the Mercer myself, I fully understand why Bob was so enthusiastic about this wonderful garden. It is truly magnificant. Over several months we have organized …
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R I P Jim Wright
by DoomsDave- 10 replies
- 3.6k views
I went to the celebration on September 26, 2015 down at the Quail. (Oops, San Diego Botanical gardens! ) We gathered in the Walled Garden and paid our respects to Jim Wright. If you were there, represent! Here's Phil Bergman, who told a bunch of wonderful stories and anecdotes.
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Sad news. Dr. Wilcox.
by ErikSJI- 1 follower
- 10 replies
- 2.9k views
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/gainesville/obituary.aspx?pid=172365942
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RIP Rolf Kyburz
by Daryl- 2 followers
- 10 replies
- 8.5k views
Well known Australian nurseryman seed/seedling trader....many would have heard of K-Palms. Rolf introduced us to the Madagascar Foxtail as well as many other new species of palms from Madagascar.
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Lois Rossten
by JEFF from Trabuco Canyon CA- 10 replies
- 4.2k views
I was very sad to hear this! Lois’s Memorial Service will be at Faith Lutheran Church located at 8200 Ellis Ave, Huntington Beach, Ca. 92646 at 1:00 PM. on Saturday 7/16/2011.
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Loran Whitelock
by yachtingone- 10 replies
- 4k views
A legend in the cycad world has passed on this morning. I met up with Loran a few times. He's a super nice guy! I will never forget our meeting at his garden!!! His book "The Cycads" is world famous and is a collectors item. Randy
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Mark Peters - Forum Member
by John in Andalucia- 9 replies
- 3k views
It's always difficult to know what to do in these situations. A forum member passes away, yet he is apparently not missed. Mark Peters was always a very engaging, warm and positive person in his posts. I knew him away from the forum, through email, as customer of mine. He had no fear of trying to grow exotics all the way up in Monifieth, Scotland. I sold him a Joey palm which he was thrilled to own, and later a small Aiphanes seedling. Mark gave us forewarning of his illness on PalmTalk last September, but continued to post his usual, upbeat comments and compliments on the forum until his last. That was on October 20th 2011 in the aptly-titled, "Nice morning and general p…
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In Memorium of James Wright
by Mr Rare- 9 replies
- 2.5k views
Mod Edit: Another topic dedicated to Jim's memory is HERE It is with deep sorrow that I say good bye to a great friend . Jim Wright passed away 8-8-15 at approx. 11:30 pm at the Thorton ICU. Jim and I shared many great times together and he was one of my biggest inspirations in my love for palms and plants of all types. His gentle kindness and thoughtfull generous nature , as well as his profound knowledge of botany and the diverse plant pallets he loved so dearly are the things I will remember the most. I share the picture below which reminds me of a trip Jim and I took to Florida many years ago were we spent several days exploring Mongomery and Fairchild gardens. I …
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Dr Henry Donselman has died
by Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)- 9 replies
- 7k views
I'm not sure this is the right place to post this information, but a former colleague of mine, and a fellow palm grower, Dr Henry Donselman has passed away. I do not know the cause. I thought those of you that might have known him but hadn't heard yet might be interested. I've attached a copy of his obit. henry.pdf
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R I P Louis Hooper, La Habra, Califorina, USA
by DoomsDave- 1 follower
- 8 replies
- 4.2k views
Dear PSSC members: It is with deep sorrow that we in the PSSC report the passing of Louis Hooper, on December 20, 2019. Mr. Hooper, along with his late wife Carol, held a special place in the hearts of all PSSC members. Louis was a founding member of the modern PSSC; he signed the incorporation documents on April 6, 1984, and had been active for many years before then. Louis and Carol Hooper had a world-class palm collection, which was a featured stop on many a "biennial" for the International Palm Society, and the location for a number of wonderful PSSC meetings as well. Best of all, they were always up for a visit from palm nuts from rou…
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Mrs. Dent Smith, 1927-2009
by Bob Johnson- 8 replies
- 5.5k views
Doris Smith, wife of Palm Society founder Dent Smith, passed away on May 10th. She was 82 years old. A memorial service for Doris will be held at 11 am on Tuesday, June 30th at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 216 Ridgewood Ave., Daytona Beach, FL. In Lieu of flowers, the family has asked that memorial contributions be made to: Hospice of Volusia /Flagler, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Port Orange FL 32127 or The Tribute Program, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156 Doris’ son Rick shares the following about his mother: “Her best friend and traveling companion was Dent. They met while on a tour of Europe. They conti…
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Nat de Leon has passed away
by DoomsDave- 1 follower
- 8 replies
- 3.2k views
I have been advised that Nat de Leon, one of the early board members in the IPS has died. He was a member of the IPS board in 1958, before I was even born. I never met him, but will provide further information as it becomes available. Those who knew him are invited to share their memories. Here is a picture of Mr. de Leon, on the right.
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Lise Rasmussen-Wright
by Phil- 8 replies
- 9.3k views
It is with great sadness that I announce the loss of a sincere friend of palms and the Palm Society. This past Friday, May 16th, Lise passed away at her home in San Diego. Her family was at her side. For years she had been fighting a chronic illness. Many of you know Lise from previous IPS Biennials or local meetings of the PSSC. She and her husband, Jim Wright, have offered their garden for tour on many occasions. Jim grew the palms but Lise added the aesthetics, design and charm to the garden. Always hospitable and gracious to plant enthusiasts, Lise had a multitude of friends who will forever miss her. Our deepest sympathy goes out to Jim and his family. Phi…
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my brother
by kelleyslawn- 8 replies
- 4k views
well last night if found out my baby brother Marcus kelley only 23 was killed by drunk driver. and yes they have them in jail and the best of all it was his wife. they were only togther 3 months i warned him almost every day about drinking. so you see to all the young and old people it does not pay to drink and drive because you never know were or when it is your time. i was starting to get him into cycads but he loved plants almost as much as me almost. sincerly David kelley
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