Florida Native Plant Society Blog

Written by Joel Jackson Fred was a long-time friend. The following information is provided so far as I know. Fred was a Florida native. He turned 91 years old on July 20 and passed away on December 20, 2020. Fred was one of the founders of the Florida Trails Association. He directed the buildings of many miles of nature hiking trails for the association. He attended Hillsborough High School and later was award membership in the school's "Hall of Fame". Fred with a poster of the activities that lead to his induction into the Hillsborough High School Hall of Fame. He retired from GT&E in management. Fred was in the Army National Guard for 21 years as a Green Beret and retired a Major. Fred was a long-time member of the Tampa Bay Model Airplane Flyers and held the World Championship for antique model RC airplane flying for several years. Fred with one of his model airplanes. Fred was a member of the Florida Native Plant Society for over 30 years. Until recently, he was a...

George Donald (Don) Gann Sr., founding member of FNPS, passed away on December 11 in Redland, Florida. Don and his wife, Joyce, who died in February, helped establish FNPS and the Dade Chapter. They were co-recipients of FNPS Green Palmetto and Mentor Awards as well as the Dade Chapter’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas Award. (An interview published in the Palmetto spring 2000 issue tells of their experiences as founding members of FNPS.) Don was born on June 11, 1931 in south Dade County. He and Joyce were high school sweethearts and raised their family in Perrine and then Redland, where they built a cutting-edge energy efficient home without air conditioning designed by Alfred Browning Parker. Don teamed up with Joyce’s father growing tomatoes for 30 years. He was a modifier and inventor of farm machinery, a skill in which he took great pride. Early conservationists, Don and Joyce began restoring the native forest on their property in the 1960s. They began attending the Dade Native...