In Memoriam
The Society is sad to announce the deaths of the following members and clematarians. Formal tributes to Dr. John Howells and Erich Pranno were published in Clematis International 2008 and Masako Takeuchi in Clematis International 2009.
Meelis Kaus - 1946 to 2009
Jessie Cohen - to 2009
Brother Stefan Franczak - 1917 to 2009
Bea Horn - 1922 to 2009
Masako Takeuchi - to 2008
Erich Pranno - 1930 to 2008
Dr. John Howells - 1918 to 2007
Meelis Kaus - 1946 to 2009 It is with great sadness that I have to start this New Year with news that Meelis Kaus, husband of Külvi Kaus, the secretary of the Estonian Clematis Club, died in June 2009. My thanks to Erika Mahhov for the following obituary.
"On 5th June 2009, after a long and exhausting disease, Meelis Kaus passed away. Besides working as a distinguished engineer for some 40 years, he devoted his free time to gardening. At his recently built house he established a beautiful garden, a perfect setting for their Clematis collection. His favourites were a new Dutch variety, C. 'Fascination' and florida-type C. 'Fond Memories', received as a gift from the Gooch family. Together with his wife Külvi, Meelis was a member of International Clematis Society. His fluent English and approachable style were of great help at many International Clematis Society events, be it in Estonia, Japan, Holland or elsewhere. The Estonian Clematis Club and the International Clematis Society send their condolences to his wife, Külvi, his two sons and their families and all the friends left behind." Erika Mahhov The picture shows Meelis in happier days during the first Society visit to Japan in 1997. From left to right around the table are Hans Ruedi Horn-Gfeller, Külvi Kaus, Meelis Kaus, the late Uno Kivistik and the late Erich Pranno, with Werner Stastny standing up on the right. |
Jessie Cohen - to 2009 It is with great sadness that I report the death of one of our members, Jessie Cohen of the USA. Jessie will be known to many of you from Japan 2008, which she attended with her partner, Rich Galloway. The Society sends its sincere condolences to Rich. |
Brother Stefan Franczak - 1917 to 2009 It is with great sadness that I report the death, Monday 6th July 2009, of Brother Stefan Franczak, Jesuit monk, internationally acclaimed clematis breeder and Honorary Fellow of this Society. His health had been gradually deteriorating over the last few years.
Brother Stefan Franczak began collecting clematis in 1960 but didn't start breeding them until the early 1980s. Since that time he has bred and introduced a great many clematis. Victoria Matthews, writing in Clematis International 2003, analysed the International Clematis Register and reported that he was the fifth most prolific breeder of clematis with 66 entries in the Register. A gentle and very modest man, a number of members of this Society had the pleasure of meeting him in the garden of the Jesuit College where he lived for the majority of his life, during visits to Poland in 2000 (which is when the picture of Brother Stefan Franczak with Szczepan Marczyński to your right was taken) and again in 2002. In was in this garden and the adjoining glasshouse that he produced his marvelous clematis. In March this year Brother Stefan Franczak was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, one of Poland's highest orders. Clematis International has featured a number of articles about Brother Stefan Franczak and his clematis, in the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2009 issues.
The wreath from the Society was accompanied by a card with the words:-
A full tribute to Brother Stefan Franczak is published in Clematis International 2010. Also and in honour of this remarkable man, the Clematis of the Month for August 2009 is a particularly good cultivar of his, C. 'Emilia Plater'. |
A service, followed by his funeral, was held in Warsaw on Monday 13th July 2009. Szczepan Marczyński, past president of this Society and a friend of Brother Stefan Franczak for many years, represented the International Clematis Society and also laid a wreath to honour him in the name of the Society, seen here in this photo on the floor in front of the coffin. It was very appropriate that both the wreath and all the other floral tributes seen here are composed of clematis.
The International Clematis Society pays tribute to our Honorary Fellow, Brother Stefan Franczak.
Bea Horn - 1922 to 2009I have to inform you of the death, on 1st January 2009, of Bea Horn, mother of Maurice Horn of Joy Creek Clematis, Portland, Oregon, USA. Bea's health had not been good for some time but she kept her spirits high, as Fiona and I saw when we visited Portland in September last year. Bea attended quite a number of Society events until relatively recently, and many of you will have met her. She was a thoughtful and very kind person, with a wonderful sense of humour. The Society sends it's condolences to Maurice, his sisters and all of her friends. |
Masako Takeuchi - to 2008It is with great sadness that I have to inform you all of the death of Masako Takeuchi, clematis breeder and grower in her own right as well as being the wife of clematis breeder and grower Hiroshi Takeuchi. She had been in poor health for some time. She died late 2008. We first met Masako Takeuchi when they took part in the visit of the Society to Sweden and Estonia in 1998. My memory is of someone who was immaculately dressed, whether formal and casual, and always had a broad smile across her face. Masako Takeuchi bred over 40 different cultivars, a number of which are available outside of Japan. We have C. 'Rooran' growing in a pot on the patio and it rewards us every year with a wonderful display of wavy edged, pink flowers which seem to go on for ever. The Society send it's condolences to Hiroshi Takeuchi and his family. There will be a short tribute to her and her clematis in the next issue of our journal, Clematis International 2009. |
Erich Pranno - 1930 to 2008
It is with sadness that I report the death on 9th March 2008 of Erich Pranno of Estonia. Erich was known to members of this Society through our visits to Estonia and his attendance at other events. In the clematis world, Erich Pranno is best known for his beautiful viorna cross, C. 'Kaiu', though in fact he bred and selected many others. I thank Erika Mahhov of Estonia for her tribute to Erich Pranno, published in abbreviated form below. Her complete tribute will be published in the forthcoming issue of our journal, Clematis International 2008. I also thank his daughter, Aanika, for the picture of Erich, taken in the summer of 2007 with one of his selections, with either C. mandschurica or C. recta in the foreground. The Society sends it's sincere condolences to his family and friends. Erich Pranno - 13 March 1930 - 9 March 2008Just as the first buds are opening in early springtime the enthusiastic Clematarian and collector, Erich Pranno, left us after a severe disease, a few days before his 78th birthday. Erich was born in a farmer's house in Kaiu village, Estonia. He was orphaned at two years old when his mother passed away but was fortunate to find a good and kind stepmother and later had twin brother and sister. Erich's schooling in Kaiu was short-lived as he had to stand in for his sick father on their farm. After military service, he studied at Sompa Mining School, but started to work as a refrigerator mechanic in the local collective farm. Erich was good at what he did, but his heart was pulling him to work with nature, animals and plants. After establishing a family and buying a house of his own in his home village in 1960, he turned to gardening. His garden, nominated for several best gardens awards, contained both clematis and other interesting and rare plants. Erich also kept bees, raising parrots, and was also a passionate hunter. He was the first person in Estonia to raise German long-haired bassets, an activity which his daughter continues to do. Everything he ever did, Erich did with thoroughness and commitment. Clematis remained his favourites and he amassed a collection of some 300 hybrids, one of the largest in the then USSR. he was a founding member of Estonian Clematis Club in 1987, the same year when he received a service medal award from the Estonian Horticultural Society. With Uno Kivistik, he was one of the leading promoters of clematis in Estonia. Together they arranged exhibitions in Estonia and other countries and visited internationally recognized Clematis specialists. As a member of the Estonian Clematis Club he participated in the meetings of the International Clematis Society, be it in Germany, Sweden, England, Japan or elsewhere. Erich Pranno tried his hand also in breeding new Clematis. From seed of C. 'Alionushka', he got differing seedlings but with integrifolia characteristics, being hardy and resistant to diseases as well as easy to take care of. They became quite popular and were known as "Pranno's hybrids". Erich was world-famous for his viorna-group hybrid C. 'Kaiu', with its small white urn-shaped nodding flowers, named after his home village. It came from seedlings he obtained from Ukrainian Nikitsky Botanic Garden. He grew these and made a selection in 1982. This hybrid was unknown internationally until some 10 years later when the Soviet "iron curtain" had fallen and the International Clematis Society visited Estonia in 1992. Apart for the beautiful blossom, the cultivar is highly appreciated for its vigorous and hardy growth, and strong health. In our garden, the plant flowers from July to October, almost until the first snows. With this extraordinary hybrid, Erich Pranno remains in the memories of all the Clematis-lovers of the world. As a person, Erich was a humorous, friendly and sparkling companion, with lot of knowledge and experience. He was a wonderful father and the best grandfather for his grandchild. His daughter, sister and brother and their families will mourn for him, as well as his relatives and friends and all Estonian Clematarians. Erika Mahhov |
Dr. John Howells - 1918 to 2007
It is with great sadness that I report the death on Monday 12th November 2007 of Dr. John Howells M.D., F.L.S.. John Howells was a man of many skills. We know him as an eminent clematarian. He was a very early member of this Society and was our Editor for a number of years. He was a prolific author of clematis books and frequent contributor of articles to Clematis International, ranging from research into the first mention of clematis in a publication (by the Greek, Theophrastus) to the very practical subject of how to plant a clematis. He was an exceptional public speaker, witness the lecture he gave at our Conference in Cambridge in 2004 where he spoke for one hour completely without notes on "The Finding of Clematis Montana", such was John's knowledge and recall of the subject. He was also prominent in the British Clematis Society, holding positions of Chair and also Editor. But perhaps he should best be known as an enthusiastic and skillful grower of clematis in his large and beautiful garden near Colchester, Great Britain. He used his garden for research for many of his books, saying that he couldn't write about a clematis unless he'd grown it first. I remember visiting one time when it was planted with viticellas. On a subsequent visit a couple of years later virtually all had been taken out and replaced with montanas, ready for his next book. And all this from a man who's career was in medical sciences. He was also a recognized expert in Italian opera and wrote a number of publications on the subject. The picture to your right was taken by Wim Snoeijer in 2005 and shows John at work in his garden, specifically by his "wall of clematis". This wall, running the length of the property beside the road, was planted on both sides with clematis such that those behind would grow up and over, to meet those at the front. When in full bloom it was one of the most formidable displays of clematis one might find. The Society sends its sincerest sympathy to Ola, his wife, and to his family. |
