IN MEMORIUM

The club recently lost two long-time members.

Polly Fletcher and her husband, John were VERY helpful to me years ago when we had an enormous mailing list and it was assistance I had always appreciated.  Polly was quite active in much more than just the Shell Club, belonging to more than one of the local orchid societies and “who-knows” how many other organizations.  Her orchid collection was phenomenal.  She was not only remembered by our club at the April meeting, but also praised and fondly remembered at other venues such as the Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society (for which I was present).  We had not seen Polly for some time although she had made it to our last shell show.  Polly succumbed to cancer just before the April meeting.

The other member is one MOST of you would not remember and it will come as a shock to those who do!  Pat Armes had gone to hospital last month for some tests….but never came out.  Her husband Rod called me this weekend to inform me of this and said she succumbed to “organ failure”.  Pat was a Florida native hailing from St. Petersburg and she married Rod when he was with the Royal Air Force.  After working for many years in the Ft. Lauderdale area they moved to a small village near Lincoln, England for retirement.  Between the two of them they had an incredible shell collection, which “caught” the attention of the British Museum in London.  The museum negotiated with the Armes…..sent down several lorries (trucks – to us Yanks) to pack up the collection, which the Armes subsequently donated to the museum.  As we speak their collection resides in a special display room entitled “The Rod & Pat Armes Collection”.  A fitting tribute to a special lady and avid collector.

I will personally miss you, Pat!   You were a good and long-time friend. – Richard Sedlak.