November 2020 Issue of the Florida Council Newsletter
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FLORIDA COUNCIL OF Volume 40 Issue 4 BROMELIAD SOCIETIES November 2020 FLORIDA COUNCIL OF BROMELIAD SOCIETIES Page 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………………..2 2020 -2021 FCBS Officers and Representatives, Committee Members, Florida BSI Officers……....3 In Memoriam of Jay Thurrott by Tom Wolfe…………………………………………………..……..4 Honoring Jay by Carol Wolfe.………...……………………...……………………………….……....4 In Memory of James (Jay) Thurrott by Katy Donnelly and Jillian Ragia…….……..……….………..5 From the Wall of Remembrance……………………….…………………………………………..….7 In Memoriam by Larry Giroux…………………...……………....………...….…….……………...…9 Chicago Bromeliad Society remembers Jay Thurrott…………………………………………….…..11 Contributions in Memory of Jay Thurrott…………………………………………….………………12 Bromeliad Photo Album, A walk down memory lane......…………...…….….……..……………….13 Featured Bromeliad: Aechmea nudicaulis by Tom Wolfe.........................……………...……………15 . THIS ISSUE OF THE FCBS NEWSLETTER IS DEDICATED TO JAMES (JAY) THURROTT June 12, 1950 — September 18, 2020 PUBLICATION: This newsletter is published four times a year, February, May, August, and November, and is a publication of the Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies. Please submit your bromeliad related activities, articles, photographs, society shows, news and events of your society. DEADLINES FOR ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS ARE: January 15 for February issue April 15th for May issue July 15 for August issue October 15th for November issue COPYRIGHT: All materials contributed and published in this FCBS Newsletter are copyrighted and belong to the authors/ photographers. The authors/photographer have given permission to use the materials and pictures in this publication for edu- cational purposes. You may use any articles and/or pictures published in the FCBS Newsletter for educational purposes with the credit given to the authors and/or photographers. Commercial use of this material is prohibited but you may contact the authors/photographers directly for other permissions or material purchases. FCBS TAX DEDUCTIBLE RECEIPTS: The Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies, Inc. is a 501(c)3 Non -Profit Corpora- tion, incorporated in the State of Florida. Please make your contributions for 2020 tax deductible receipts by going to FCBS.org to make online contributions through PayPal or mail check or money order to FCBS Treasurer: Sudi Hipsley, 6616 Tuscawilla Drive, Leesburg, FL 34748 -9190. If you have questions regarding your contribution, please call Sudi at 352 -504 -6162. FRONT COVER: Photo of bromeliads exhibit by Herb Hill, Hill’s Raingreen Tropicals, In the 2002 WBC in St. Petersburg, FL Photo by Carol Wolfe FLORIDA COUNCIL OF BROMELIAD SOCIETIES Page 3 2020 FCBS OFFICERS & MEMBERS Tom Wolfe Richard Poole 2020 Chairman 2020 Secretary Bromeliad Guild of Tampa Bay Florida West Coast Bromeliad Society Marian Kennell Sudi Hipsley 2020 Vice Chairman 2020 Treasurer Sarasota Bromeliad Society Seminole Bromeliad Society Non -Voting Members unless serving in the dual VOTING REPRESENTATIVES role of Member Society Representative. of the FCBS: Al Muzzel Weevil Fund: Bromeliad Guild of Tampa Bay Tom Wolfe Tom Wolfe & Carol Wolfe FCBS Editorial Panel: Bromeliad Society of Central Florida Carol Wolfe, Editor Betsy McCrory & Tom Wolfe, Assistant Editor Mike Saunders Calandra Thurrott, Copy Editor Bromeliad Society of Palm Beaches Tom Ramiccio & FCBS Roster Maintenance: Susan Sousa Nick Bethmann FCBS Webmaster: Michael Andreas Bromeliad Society of South Florida [email protected] Michael Michalski & Patty Gonzalez Weevil Research : Howard Frank, PH.D Ron Cave, PH.D Caloosahatchee Bromeliad Society Teresa M. Cooper, PH.D Vicky Chirnside [email protected] Florida East Coast Bromeliad Society BSI Officers & Committee Members Calandra Thurrott & from Florida: Jack Dunlop Gregory Kolojeski, Vice President Barbara Partagas, Secretary Florida West Coast Bromeliad Society BSI Directors from Florida: Susan Sousa & Bruce Holst; Rick Ryals; Alex Bello & Richard Poole Alan Herndon Gainesville Bromeliad Society BSI Archives Committee: Steven C. Provost Sandy Burnett & BSI Judges Certification: Betty Ann Prevatt Chris Waldman BSI Nominations: Larry Giroux BSI Wally Berg Award : Teresa Bert Sarasota Bromeliad Society Marian Kennell & Nancy Abramson Seminole Bromeliad & Tropical Plant Society Sudi Hipsley & Greg Kolojeski COMMITTEES MEMBERS: The following Committee Members and guests have a standing invitation to FCBS Meetings as Page FLORIDA COUNCIL OF BROMELIAD SOCIETIES 4 I love Bromeliads...By Carol Wolfe, Editor Jay Thurrott in Memoriam 1950 -2020 By Tom Wolfe, Chairman FCBS Knowing that Jay had some serious physical issues for quite some time, it was still a shock when I heard the bad news. Jay has been a close friend for many years. Our paths crossed often as we served on the FCBS together, we judged many bromeliad shows together, attended Judges symposiums and semi- nars together, and hung out with him and Calandra socially. On behalf of the FCBS, we extend our sympathy to Calandra and to her Jay Thurrott and Jay’s daughters, Katy Donnelly and Jillian Ragia and their families. Jay loved his family, loved his grandchildren, loved bromeliads and loved life in general. He is and will be missed by both Carol and I and the many others whose lives he touched. * * * * * * * * * * * * Honoring Jay: It brings such sadness to our hearts that Jay Thurrott lost his battle with cancer on September 18, 2020. We were hoping and praying that God would heal Jay this side of heaven but it was not to be. The Bible says there is a time to be born and a time to die and it was his time to be with the Lord and enter his eternal home. Jay’s daughters, Katy and Jill, have written a beautiful memorial about their Dad in the follow- ing pages and share their family pictures with us. We thank them for their lovely contribution about his life. As I work on this issue of the Newsletter, I feel the void Jay leaves knowing it will not contain his usual input of interesting articles. Jay was an Assistant Editor to the FCBS Newsletter and the editor of the monthly newsletter for the Florida East Coast Bromeliad Society. His loyalty was exceptional. Weeks before the final due date for copy for the FCBS Newsletter, Jay would send an article or two. Many times he supplied pictures of shows, the Judges School, meetings, and other events for the News- letter. He was faithful and loyal to his commitment to the FCBS Newsletter providing pictures and sto- ries through our last issue in August before his final battle with cancer. To have an employee fulfill their job in a timely manner would be a blessing, but a volunteer like Jay is every editor’s dream! We will miss Jay and bid him farewell until we shall meet again in that beautiful City of Heav- en which the Bible describes as “pure gold, like clear glass and its brilliance is like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal -clear jasper. The streets of the city are made of pure gold, like transparent glass and the walls surrounding the city are made of jasper and other valuable stones. There is a crystal clear river called the “water of life” that flows from the throne of God down the middle of the great street of the city. On both sides of the river the Tree of Life bears twelve kinds of fruit and yields its fruit every month. There are twelve gates to the city and an angel is at each gate, residing in a gatehouse. The twelve gates are each made of a 'single' pearl , giving them the name " pearly gates ". What a time of rejoicing when we will be reunited with generations of family, friends and we enter those pearly gates to the beautiful city to live forever in the Garden of Eden. We can only begin to imagine all the beautiful plants that God created in the garden for us! Until the time of our departure from the earth, we will carry our precious memories of Jay in our hearts as we put our hope and trust in John 3: 16 -18: “ For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life .” Rev- elation 21:4 says, “ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Hallelujah! Carol Wolfe, Editor Page FLORIDA COUNCIL OF BROMELIAD SOCIETIES 5 In Memory of James (Jay) Thurrott (1950 -2020) Written by his two loving daughters: Katy Donnelly & Jillian Ragia Jay Thurrott passed away on September 18, 2020 after a courageous 8 year battle with melanoma. Letters and emails offering condolences and sharing memories have come flooding in since then. Those who knew him shared what a unique person he was. They shared that they loved his cheerful, patient demeanor and were im- pressed by the way he humbly shared his incredible span of knowledge. He was the same way at home and those qualities made him a great father. Jay worked over 30 years for the City of Daytona Utili- ties as an environmental chemist. He retired as Manager of Treatment Operations in 2012. He grew over 800 varieties of bromeliads at his home in Port Orange, Florida and had been growing bromeliads since the 70’s. A lifetime member of the Florida East Coast Society (FECBS), Jay was their newsletter editor and had served as secretary, vice president and president of that organization. He served as his club’s representa- tive of the Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies (FCBS) for many years and is a past Jay and Calandra Thurrott Chairman of that organization. He was Married 44 years also active in local garden club activi- ties. He was a former president of the Halifax Council of Garden Clubs (a consortium of 7 garden clubs in the Daytona Beach area) and the only male to serve in its history.