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Long time Selby Gardens supporter Ann Esworthy, 97, passed away Friday, November 3, 2017.\u00a0A volunteer who contributed more than 7,000 hours over 41 years, Ann continued to mount herbarium specimens in the Botany department until just weeks prior to her passing.<\/p>\n
In addition to co-founding the Friends of the Gardens\u2013Selby Associates, Ann established the Gardens\u2019 tour guide program and wrote the volunteer handbook, \u201cWonder as You Wander,\u201d that was used for many years to train all guides. She also created a speaker\u2019s bureau to handle requests for our botanists to share the Gardens’ scientific mission.\u00a0In 2008, then-Director of our Gesneriad Research Center Dr. John R. Clark named a newly-described gesneriad in Ann\u2019s honor.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnn was an important leader in Selby Gardens\u2019 history who I admired so much,\u201d said CEO Jennifer O. Rominiecki. \u201cIt was my privilege to present her with an award in recognition of her
\n40 th year as a volunteer in 2016. We will miss her deeply.\u201d<\/p>\n
Botany Directory Bruce Holst, who has been acquainted with Ann for more than two decades, noted \u201cA most wonderful friend is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ann once commented, \u201cMy relationship to the Gardens started as being about the plants and science \u2013 and that is still very near and dear to my heart. But it has grown over time to be more about the people, much more about the people.\u201d She was beloved by Gardens staff, volunteers, and members.<\/p>\n