Robert Morris Hamilton
March 25, 1912 – June 8, 2010

It is with deep sorrow we announce that our dear father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Robert Morris (Bert) Hamilton, passed away peacefully on June 8, 2010 at the age of 98. He is survived by his twin sons John (Betty) and Robert Jr., daughter Louise, grandchildren Sheryl (Bruce), David (Valerie), Jenny, Michael (Carole), and Andy, and great-grandchildren Kieran, Dylan, Max, and Simon. Bert was predeceased by his wife, Anne, in 2007.

Bert was born and raised in Lachine near Montreal. He received a Bachelor of Arts (English) in 1934 and a Bachelor of Library Science in 1935 from McGill University. In 1936–37, he attended Columbia University, New York on a Carnegie Fellowship.

Bert entered the Civil Service in Ottawa in 1937. Bert’s marriage the following year to Anne Louise Harrington was to last 69 years. Bert returned to New York in 1944, with his wife and young family, to work in the reference division of the New York Public Library.

Bert was appointed Assistant Librarian (English), Library of Parliament, Ottawa in 1946. In 1961, Bert joined the faculty of the newly established School of Librarianship at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. He became Assistant University Librarian – Collections, UBC, in 1964, a position he held until retirement in 1977.

Bert was President of the Canadian Library Association in 1962. He was honoured with the Canadian Confederation Medallion in 1967.

Bert pursued his passion for orchids with enthusiasm, and was named a Life Member of the Vancouver Orchid Society in 1983.

Bert’s many publications include Canadian Quotations and Phrases (1952, 1965), The Dictionary of Canadian Quotations and Phrases (with Dorothy Shields) (1979, 1982), Canadian Book Prices Current (1957, 1959, 1962, with Rita Butterfield), Orchid Flower Index 1736–1979 (1979), The Orchid Doctor (1980), The New Orchid Doctor (1988), Orchid History Reference Papers, nos. 1-30 (1991–2004), and Rebecca Northen Recollected (2009).

Bert was an active member of the Quilchena Golf and Country Club for almost 40 years, and was twice honoured by the club membership for "shooting his age."

The family expresses their gratitude to Bert’s family physicians, Dr. Charles Edward (Ted) Cragg (retired) and Dr. Cheryl Hau, and to the doctors and staff at Richmond Hospital.

Please perform an act of kindness in Bert’s memory, thank you.

 

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Andrew Maduro
February 2, 1947 - March 8, 2010
Two Tributes

When I moved to Panama to work with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in 1963, I soon met most of the local orchid enthusiasts, both in Panama and in the Canal Zone. One of the most enthusiastic was Walter Maduro. At some point we organized the Panama Orchid Society, which is still active. There was, at times, a separate orchid society in the Canal Zone, but the real enthusiasts, such as Walter Maduro, Lupe Dreyfus and often I, usually attended both societies.

I believe that I first met Walter's son, Andrew, when we were invited to dine with the Maduros. We were quite impressed by Andrew's collection of pre-colombian artifacts. I am not sure just when Andrew purchased some land in the mountains near Cerro Punta, in western Panama. At that time, I don't think that he had much of an orchid collection, but his property supplied a wonderful base for field work in the mountains nearby, and he cheerfully told us to use it whenever we wanted. I don't remember when Andrew named his property there "Finca Dracula," partly, perhaps, because of his interest in the genus Dracula, and partly, according to Andrew, because the name might discourage thieves.

Andrew took advantage of the climate there, to build up a collection of orchids and other interesting plants, both from Panama and especially from Andean South America. When I moved to Florida in 1985, I don't believe that Finca Dracula had much of an orchid collection, but each time we returned to visit Finca Dracula we found the collection of both exotics and Panamanian species to be much greater. Over the years Andrew has built up a phenomenal collection of Panamanian and Andean orchids.

Finca Dracula is several hours from Panama City, but Andrew also had a nursery at Punta Chame, near the coast and not so far from Panama City. Thus, cut flowers of Dendrobiums and many other things could easily be taken to the flower shop and main office in Panama City.

Andrew was always eager to help visiting orchid enthusiasts or botanists. This is reflected in Epidendrum maduroi, Lepanthes maduroi, Masdevallia maduroi, Oncidium maduroi, Pleurothallis maduroi, Sobralia maduroi, Stanhopea maduroi, and Telipogon maduroi. Many other new species named in the last few decades were based on plants cultivated in Finca Dracula.

When I last spoke with Andrew, he was planning to convert Finca Dracula into a botanical garden. It is really the ideal climate for a high elevation botanical garden. I certainly hope that they will be able to develop a botanical garden there. It would be the ideal monument for Andrew, who died on March 8, 2010.

Robert Dressler

A dear friend died from cancer on March 08, 2010. He lived in Panama but was born in Brooklyn in 1947. His name: Andres Maduro. But he liked to be called Andrew. His Sephardic ancestors came from Spain in the 17th century and landed first in Curacao before settling in Panama.

I met him in Lima, Peru at an orchid show in 1993. He and I became close friends over the years sharing a mutual passion for orchids. The last time I saw him was in New York City a few years ago, although we had been in touch by telephone on and off since then.

Andrew was a man of enormous generosity to which I can testify. His straightforward approach to life was with gusto and love. His easy-going demeanor and cogent comments meant you always knew where he stood on issues. He took life bursting with enthusiasm. He laughed easily and had empathy His many friendships around the orchid world were stronger than time and distance.Friends that reflected his warm heart, triple bypass notwithstanding.

Andrew's father Walter together with Robert Dressler founded the Panama Orchid Society which sparked a new interest in orchids in Panama. Andrew followed his father's leadership in the society up culminating with the organized the first and only international orchid show in Panama in 1995.

His knowledge of orchids sprung from an inexplicable inner feeling that we who grow and work with orchids have (but perhaps do not find easy to explain). While living in Panama City, he cultivated his orchids in two major environments in Panama .. one in Punta Chame which is at the tip of a long peninsular that projects into Panama Bay and bordered by the Pacific Ocean. There he grew many thousands of Dendrobium in a multitude of colors, some species but mostly hybrids. These plants produced cut flowers which were sold at his showroom/office in Panama City. But that's not all.

From Panama City going west northwest is a city near the border with Costa Rica called David. Air service takes one there in less than an hour from Panama City... otherwise it is a six hour drive. About a half hour north by car from David is the most remarkable creation of Andrew Maduro. Named Finca Dracula, it houses thousands upon thousands of orchids from all over Central and South America, Mexico, and other parts of the world. There are collections of many species from many genera; collections that have been used for research by many orchid scientists including Robert Dressler, Günther Gerlach, W. Königer, Carl Lüer, Tom Sijm, and several others. He maintained a great relationship with the Panamanian Environmental Ministry (ANAM) which enabled him to organize expeditions throughout the Panamanian forests and led to the discovery of hundreds of new orchid species. A few of these taxa were named after him making him the first Panamanian with such honor.

In 1995, Andrew Maduro established a propagation laboratory at Finca Dracula that is still functioning today. He has had a business relationship for many years with William Goldner whose company, Woodstream Orchids, marketed Maduro's propagated orchids in the United States.

Finca Dracula is a memorable orchid tourist attraction and should not be missed by any orchid lover with the means and the time to visit. Finca Dracula is but five minutes from Guadalupe, Cerro Punta. There are good hotels nearby.

Andrew's family survive him; Gloria, his wife of 33 years, and two sons, Andres (Choty) and Walter. Andres, studied plant genetics and will continue with Andrew's orchid work.

We, who have grown and worked with orchids over the years, know what it takes to do what Andrew did in his lifetime. Admiration is an inadequate word for what those who knew him feel. Miss him we will.

Harry Zelenko

 

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Lycanisia Marie Riopelle 'Allegro', AM/AOS, 82 points
(Lyc. skinneri x Agn. cyanea) - Hybrid registered,
grown and exhibited by Marie Riopelle.
Awarded April 25, 2009. Photo © David Morris.

Marie D. Riopelle
January 15, 1917 - April 7, 2010

Marie Riopelle, a orchid grower, hybridizer and judge emeritus has passed away at the age of 93. She was a exceptional grower who had amassed over the years 174 AOS awards including 9 FCC's and 2 AQ's. She made and registered numerous hybrids and was well known for creating a line of miniature Miltonias such as Miltonia Dainty Miss and Miltonia Dainty Melissa. She had several hybrids named after her which include Cattleya Marie Riopelle, Miltonia Marie Riopelle, Colmanara Marie Riopelle, and finally Lycanisia Marie Riopelle. She was married to Jim Riopelle who was also a Judge emeritus and passed away in 1998. Marie was very independent and lived by herself in Portland, Oregon where she took care of nearly 1000 square feet of orchids. She used to tell me that she wanted to die with her boots on and dirt under her fingernails. Marie, you might not have totally gotten your wish, but your boots hadn't been off for very long. We shall all miss you and the unique perspective you brought to the orchid growing world.

David Morris

 

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Howard P. Wood in his greenhouse. Photo by Martha van Artsdalen

HOWARD PAGE WOOD
1923 - June 20, 2010
Two Tributes

Howard was a graduate of Haverford College (1943) and the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine (1947) with a specialty in Psychiatry. He grew orchids for over 50 years in a succession of greenhouses. He was librarian for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Orchid Society (SEPOS) for over 40 years, a President of SEPOS from 1970-1972, and a frequent speaker for four decades at orchid clubs and societies in the tri-state Mid-Atlantic region. He served as President of the Arboretum Association at Haverford College from 1995-1997. He was a member of the Philadelphia Botanical Club from 1975 until his death. At the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, he was President of Friends of the Library from 1990-2000, and a Research Associate in Botany from 1991 until his death.

Howard achieved international fame with the publication in 2006 of The Dendrobiums, a monumental tome of almost 1000 pages and over 650 color photos, most of which he took himself. After his retirement from his psychiatry practice, Howard devoted almost two decades to writing and editing the book. The project melded his interests in orchids, world travel, scientific research, and photography. The volume contains sweeping chapters on ecology, morphology, evolution and plate tectonics, pollination, taxonomy and nomenclature, and culture (drawing on his experience growing in four greenhouses), as well as botanic descriptions of more than 600 dendrobium species, plus 15 appendices and more than 800 references. Howard wrote in an immensely readable style that almost perfectly integrates scientific detail and personal observations. Many of his photos were taken on the more than 50 major trips he and his wife Anne made to all the major continents and the four largest islands on the planet (some of which are described in his book). In 2006, the International Association for Plant Taxonomy recognized his achievement by awarding him the prestigious Engler Silver Medal, botanical science's highest award for publications.

In addition to growing Dendrobium species, Howard was a prolific writer. He was co-author and a photo-illustrator for Botanica's Pocket Handbook of Orchids (2002), and a co-author of Flora of China, v. 25, Orchidaceae (2009). He authored and provided photo-illustrations for at least 20 scholarly papers on dendrobiums and terrestrial species that were published in U.S. and international journals. In his later years, he was a frequent companion on local forays to find terrestrial species, and one of these excursions resulted in his final paper published in Orchids (August, 2010). At his death, he had drafted notes for at least five papers about dendrobiums on subjects as diverse as species identification, using roots in taxonomy, and "one-day wonders," or dendrobiums that bloom for only a day.

A lifelong Quaker and the Clerk (Head) of Haverford Friends Meeting for five years in the 1990s, he confessed to the undersigned to the "unQuakerly" pleasure he derived from the accolades that followed the publication of his book. His modesty, worldliness, charm, and dedication to orchid education made him a popular figure among hobbyists at all levels. Color blindness prevented him from becoming an AOS judge, but judges and scholars from around the world sought his counsel on species identification and taxonomy. He assumed a leadership role in every institution he joined and remained loyal to all of them to the end. He donated his papers and all his orchid slides to the AOS to preserve his research and advance orchid education. He was a friend and inspiration to many and a true great in the history of orchid scholarship.

Catherine Higgins
Accredited Judge, Mid-Atlantic Region

 

Even in the 1960s, Howard spoke of writing a book on his favorite genera, the dendrobiums. He influenced many orchid growers with his expertise in orchids, based on first-hand growing knowledge and research. As a sixteen year old new grower, I would often get into discussions with Howard on dendrobiums that required classification work. Howard was influential my development into a fifty year orchid grower and provided impetus and inspiration for me becoming an AOS Judge in 1987.

Howard was always friendly, soft spoken and a truly sincere and fine person. He would rarely miss a chance to talk about orchids. He was frugal to almost the ridiculous having rarely used purchased wire, and his cork slabs were rarely larger than 5" x 5" to mount his plants. What did he use - metal coat hangers from the dry cleaner which he never threw away even after they rusted. Howard would lament about his special short-time blooming (one day wonder) dendrobes that would flower during the day when he was on rounds and by time he returned to the greenhouse, he would be faced with folded flowers.

As I became influential in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Orchid Society, I would always rely on Howard to expound on the Dendrobium section of the show table. After all, who was better? During these presentations I would hardly ever miss a chance to dig my friend on the fact that his book was in progress for 'only 25 years' then 30 years and not finished. Howard always took these chides in a humorous vein. He was unfortunately color blind and thus never became an AOS Judge. I always wondered whether an exception could have been made, based on his extra-ordinary knowledge of the dendrobiums - he would have added a significant knowledge sink to the judging system. However, he was rewarded by his outlay of knowledge to judges, and we were rewarded by the enjoyment he took and knowledge he shared in monthly show table and annual ribbon judging at our SEPOS shows, which he did almost until the month he died.

Mark Werther
Accredited Judge, Mid-Atlantic Region