Sad deaths of SRGC members

[Maggi Young]

Dear  Friends, We learned recently of the death on 5th July of Tony Rymer, husband of Ruth, of Harrogate in North Yorkshire,He had been an SRGC member for a long time and he and  Ruth  came  often to SRGC events - especially the Discussion Weekends of course.
No news of any funeral arrangements as yet.

Our kindest thoughts are with Ruth and family at this time.

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Tony Rymer at an SRGC Discussion weekend.

Now today there is the further sad news  of the passing of Joan M. Beeston, wife of former nurseryman Ron Beeston of Worcester.   Joan had been in failing health for some time. Joan and Ron had a mutual love of flowers and alpines and must be one of the best known UK couples in the world of alpines.
Ron and Joan were both strong supporters of the SRGC and had been members of SRGC and AGS  for a great many years. Joan and Ron were greatly encouraging of Tim Lever and helped him in his pursuit of excellence in propagating difficult Dionysia and the like.

 
No funeral arrangements have been announced as yet.

 
We send Ron and all their family our fondest condolences at this sad time.

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Joan and Ron Beeston, with Fred Bundy, at another SRGC Discussion Weekend.

[Maggi Young]

 The funeral service for Joan Beeston will be held on 25 July at 1.00 pm 
The venue is :
Worcester Crematorium
 Astwood Cemetery
 Tintern Avenue
 Worcester, WR3 8HA

[Maggi Young]

News from Ian Smith about Joan's funeral service :
"Joan had a wonderful service at the Worcester Crematorium earlier this week every seat in the chapel was taken and people were standing, there were well over one hundred from local AGS Groups, The Cyclamen Society & their Music Group there and Vic Aspland did the eulogy."


Good to hear this - hope it was a comfort to Ron.

[Maggi Young]

Terribly  sad today to hear  that  Ron Beeston has  died.  Such a  wonderful, kind  man and  great  plantsman, too.   I will post  funeral details when they are  available.
 There will be  many  of  us  hoping  he is  having a  grand  reunion with his  beloved, Joan.

Thanks  to Ian Smith  and  Peter  Culliney  for passing  on this  sad news.

[Maggi Young]

Various tributes  being  paid to  Ron  Beeston - this  from  Adrian Young, Saxifrage  Master -
" I knew Ron and Joan for many years, they came to my sax days at Waterperry many times, always great to see them. Ron gave the world Saxifraga  'Cumulus', one of the best saxes. Ron was special. RIP"

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 S. 'Cumulus' - photo Adrian Young

[Maggi Young]

Peter Culliney  has  kindly  sent this  message  about  Ron's  funeral :

The funeral for Ron Beeston will be held on:

Thursday 25th July 2019 at 12.15pm

Worcester Crematorium
Astwood Cemetery, Tintern Avenue, Worcester, WR3 8HA


Family flowers only have been requested.

Any donations made in memory of Ron will be in support of the St Richard’s Hospice.


Many thanks,

Peter Culliney.


What a sad  irony that Ron's  funeral comes  exactly three  years  after  that  of  Joan.

[Maggi Young]

A memory from Zdenek Zvolanek in 2015  "Early spring  is over but we can enjoy the lights of Saxifraga cultivars at an old photographs. I am still surprised with the elegance of tufa raised bed made by my friend Ron Beeston in Worcester 30 years ago."

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and now  Some good news  from the present ... this photo by Diane Clement, who wrote :"I think you would like to know that before Ron died, he requested that his tufa went to John Massey's garden at Ashwood Nurseries where it was relaid and replanted. It currently looks splendid."

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