Cal Bosch: 1930–2024
The Good Fruit Grower staff was sad to learn that Cal Bosch, a longtime editor of the magazine, died July 14. He was 94 years old and was surrounded by family at the time of his death. Cal Bosch Calvin Henry Bosch was born May 31, 1930, in Eastern Montana.
Bernadine Strik: 1962–2023
Blueberry industry leader Bernadine Strik died April 14 in Corvallis, Oregon.
Eric Mussen: 1944–2022
Honey bee authority Eric Carnes Mussen, an internationally known California Cooperative Extension apiculturist and member of the University of California, Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty, died June 3 from liver cancer, according to a news release from UC Davis. He was 78. Eric Mussen “Eric was a giant
Bruce Hollabaugh: 1980–2022
Pennsylvania grower leaves a lasting legacy.
Russel Gleason: 1929–2022
Russel Scott Gleason, longtime Yakima Valley orchardist, died Feb. 6. Russel Gleason According to an obituary published in the Yakima Herald-Republic, Russ ran his own farm, managed other farms, ran a packing facility and worked as a crop advisor for apples and pears. He was one of the first pest
Larry Gut: 1954–2021
Larry Gut Longtime Michigan State University professor Lawrence “Larry” Gut died Sept. 6 in Wenatchee, Washington, where he had recently moved with his wife, Kathleen, to retire near family and friends, according to a Michigan State University news release. Gut joined MSU’s department of entomology in 1997. During his career,
Dee Schoenmakers: 1956–2021
Dee Schoenmakers Denise “Dee” Schoenmakers, 65, died Aug. 28 following a brief illness. She was a well-known figure in the Washington tree fruit industry, spending most of her career at the Washington State Horticultural Association and Van Well Nursery. After working at the association, Schoenmakers joined Van Well Nursery in
John Carter: 1946–2021
John Carter, a longtime cherry grower in The Dalles, Oregon, and former Good Fruit Grower of the Year, died Aug. 9 following an illness. A fierce proponent of industry research during his career, Carter was credited with helping to restart the cherry breeding program at Washington State University and advocated
Jim Koempel: 1945–2021
Longtime orchardist Jim Koempel died July 26 at his home in Dryden, Washington, following a prolonged battle with Parkinson’s disease. Jim Koempel (Courtesy Koempel family) Koempel grew up on a family farm in Tieton, Washington, graduating from Highland High School in 1963. He graduated from Washington State University in 1968
Jim Wade: 1926–2020
Jim Wade Jim Wade, former head of Columbia Fruit Packers and a partner in Columbia Marketing International in Wenatchee, Washington, died July 12. Wade was the second-generation head of the company that would become Columbia Fruit Packers, following in the footsteps of his uncle and company founder, J.M. Wade. His
Richard “Dick” Symms: 1935–2020
Richard “Dick” Symms Richard “Dick” Symms, patriarch of the Caldwell, Idaho, Symms Fruit Ranch, died July 13. After attending college and completing his military service in the Air Force, Symms returned to the Symms Fruit Ranch, leading it to become the largest fruit company in Idaho, according to an obituary
Cliff Plath, 1955–2020
Yakima grower and philanthropist died April 11.
Peter Landolt: 1952–2019
Longtime USDA entomologist dead at 66.
Richard Thomason: 1948–2019
Longtime apple grower Richard Harris Thomason of Brewster, Washington, died on Nov. 18, according to an obituary published in the Wenatchee World. Thomason, born on March 24, 1948, grew apples for nearly 50 years at Maverick Orchards, the family farm started by his father. Known as an innovative grower for
Roger Way, 1918–2019
Roger Way. (Courtesy Cornell University) Roger Way, world-renowned apple breeder and professor emeritus of pomology at Cornell University, died June 2 in State College, Pennsylvania. He was 100 years old. According to an article in the Cornell Chronicle, Way’s research on pollination and apple germplasm helped lead to the introduction
Robert Kershaw: 1938–2019
Good Fruit Grower received the following announcement, dated May 13, about the passing of Domex Superfresh Growers co-founder Robert “Bob” Kershaw: Robert “Bob” Chester Kershaw was born February 3, 1938 in Yakima, Washington, to Ronald and Betty Kershaw. His family had migrated from Philadelphia in 1880, planting apple and pear
Stephen Garczynski: 1960–2019
Stephen Garczynski Stephen Garczynski, research geneticist at the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Wapato, Washington, died Feb. 9. Garczynski was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1960. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology/genetics at Purdue University in 1983. At the University of Georgia, he earned his master’s
IFTA founder Wallace Heuser has died
Wallace Heuser, recognized internationally as an authority on tree fruit, rootstocks and orchard systems, has died. Heuser, 90, died Feb. 5 in Lawrence, Michigan. For nearly three decades, Heuser was president of Hilltop Orchards and Nurseries, a multifaceted horticultural company with orchards, a packing house and nursery producing over a
James K. Ballard, 1920-2017
James K. Ballard James K. Ballard, a WSU Extension agent for Yakima County from 1962-81 and former contributor to Good Fruit Grower, died on Oct 18. He was well known for his expertise in orchard management and apple production. Prior to his work in Yakima, he served as
Oregon State researcher Wang has died
Dr. Yan Wang, who led postharvest physiology research at Oregon State University, died unexpectedly on Thursday, April 27. His age was not immediately available Friday.
Kurt Schlect, 1954-2017
Kurt Don Schlect, a lifelong grower in the Yakima Valley, passed away Feb. 5 at the University of Washington Medical Center due to complications of a double lung transplant in early September 2016. Kurt was a longtime partner at Highland Fruit Growers, Inc in Yakima and was vice president of the board
Arkansas fruit breeder Moore dies at 85
Jim Moore Jim Moore, a longtime fruit breeder, who was influential in the tree fruit industry died Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017, at age 85, according to a news release from the University of Arkansas. Moore, who held a doctorate from Rutgers University, established the fruit breeding program at
Washington grower and packer Gary W. Hansen dies at 73
Gary W. Hansen, the former president of Hansen Fruit and Cold Storage of Yakima, Washington, died Jan. 15 after a yearlong battle with cancer. He was 73. He began his career in agriculture as an employee of his father’s orchards called Valley Roz Orchards in Parker Heights, Washington, in the
Bruce Zahn, 1925-2016
Bruce A. Zahn, a prominent grower who lived in Bridgeport, Washington, passed away December 9, 2016, at age 91. According to his granddaughter, Darby (Zahn) Jones, Zahn served as president of the Washington State Bruce Zahn Image courtesy of Zahn family Horticultural Association in 1991. “He loved the
Washington horticulturalist Fred Valentine dies
Fred Valentine in a 2015 file photo. (Geraldine Warner/Good Fruit Grower) Fred Valentine, a longtime field horticulturist and former president of the Washington State Horticultural Association, died December 4. He was 81. Valentine was born in Tennessee, and his family moved to Peshastin, Washington, when he was a child.
Washington Winemakers Mike Wallace and Scott Pontin, RIP
Two prominent Washington State winemakers have died in recent days. The Yakima Herald reports that Mike Wallace owner of Hinzerling Winery and one of Prosser's original winemakers, died over the weekend after complications from pneumonia. And Scott Pontin, 53, died Monday, reportedly from a heart attack. He was the owner and winemaker
Dorothy Plath, of Yakima and Washington Fruit and Produce, age 91
Our condolences to the family of the late Dorothy Plath, who died July 31 at age 91. She was a celebrated philanthropist, civic leader and beloved mother of the family that runs Washington Fruit and Produce Co. in Yakima, Washington. Here is an except from the obituary in the Yakima Herald-Republic:
Former MSU president, Dr. Gordon Guyer, 1926-2016
Dr. Gordon Guyer Dr. Gordon Guyer, Michigan State University’s 18th president and longtime head of MSU Extension, has died. He was 89 years old. Guyer attempted to retire twice in his career — the first time, immediately after his tenure as director of MSU Extension (1973-85) in 1986.
Remembering Richard “Dick” Lehnert -1942-2015
Distinguished editor, researcher, and writer influenced the horticulture industry for 52 years.
Grower, philanthropist Marvin Sundquist, 1926-2015
Marvin Sundquist, retired owner of Sundquist Fruit and Cold Storage in Yakima, Washington, died Saturday. He was 89. Sundquist Fruit & Cold Storage originated in 1922, when Ralph Sundquist, father of Marvin, agreed to manage an investor-owned fruit-growing operation in the lower Naches area of the Upper Yakima Valley in
GFG Associate Editor Richard Lehnert, 1942-2015
Richard Lehnert Richard Lehnert, associate editor with Good Fruit Grower for the past six years, died suddenly August 31 at his home in Trufant, Michigan. He was 72. Lehnert received numerous awards during his 52-year career as an agricultural journalist. Earlier this year, he received the Distinguished Service
Robert Snyder 1921–2015
Robert Snyder, a former partner at C&O Nursery in Wenatchee, Washington, died June 19 at the age of 94. Snyder grew up in Wenatchee. He became a U.S. Air Force cadet and graduated from the Hancock Foundation College of Aeronautics in California. He later earned a degree in business administration
Gene Veliquette, 1947-2015
Gene Veliquette Michigan’s cherry industry lost a visionary leader with the death of Gene Veliquette. The influential grower died June 7 in Traverse City. He was 67. After buying his first farm in 1970 with his brother Norm and twin brother Dean, Veliquette began raising cherries and quickly
Jack Edwin Jones: 1941-2015
Jack Edwin Jones Jack Jones, grower and entrepreneur from Quincy, Washington, was known for doing things in a big way. He welcomed new challenges as he diversified from the family’s potato growing and packing operation to growing tree fruit and wine grapes to building a winery and a
Dick Bartram, 1920-2015
Dick Bartram (wearing the dark coat and hat) was an authority on orchard economics. Here, he explains how to get new trees off to a good start. Washington State University Retired Washington State University Cooperative Extension agent Richard “Dick” Bartram, who was an authority on apple maturity and
Robert L. Andrews, 1930 – 2014
Andrews credited for helping develop grape region.
Arvid V. Monson 1941 – 2014
Arvid V. Monson Diversified grower, rancher, and founder of Goose Ridge Winery Arvid Monson, 73, died December 1. The long time Yakima Valley, Washington, cattleman will be remembered for his handshake business dealings and innovations in tree fruit and wine grapes. Monson grew up in Yakima and graduated
Daniel Symms, 1961-2014
Dan Symms (Courtesy Symms Family) Daniel Thomas Symms, great-grandson of the founder of Symms Fruit Ranch in Caldwell, Idaho, died from cancer on October 7. He was 52. Symms grew up on the Symms Fruit Ranch until his father, Steven Symms, was elected to the U.S. Congress in
John Daniel Gebbers, 1930 – 2014
John “Danny” Gebbers (Courtesy Gebbers family) John “Danny” Gebbers, 84, patriarch of the Gebbers family that has been growing apples near Brewster for more than 100 years, died October 21 of complications from a fall last summer during the region’s forest fires. Gebbers Farms, with more than
Michael L. Miller, 1947 – 2014
Mike Miller, at Airfield Estates Winery tasting room in Prosser, Washington on March 30, 2009. (Melissa Hansen/Good Fruit Grower) Mike Miller, 67, known for his infectious grin, had deep roots in Washington’s Yakima Valley agriculture. His grandfather helped to bring irrigation water to land northeast of the Yakima
Guy William “Bill” Powers, 1926 – 2014
Washington wine industry legend Bill Powers, known for his innovative, organic grape growing and winemaking, died September 23. He was 88.
Fast track ends for Jerry Haak
Jerry Haak focused on growing fruit and helping others, not his pain.
Pat Hagood, 1924–2013
Pat Hagood Journalist Helen Patricia Hagood, who wrote for Good Fruit Grower during the 1970s, died in Springfield, Oregon, on September 13. She was 89. Hagood was born in Dixonville, Oregon. After graduating from Roseburg High School, she attended Oregon State College in Corvallis, Oregon, where she was
Joe Sardinha unified the B.C. tree fruit industry
Joe Sardinha British Columbia orchardist Joe Sardinha will be remembered for his efforts to unify the tree fruit industry both within the province and across Canada. Sardinha, president of the British Columbia Fruit Growers’ Association from 2005 to 2011, died August 31 of a heart attack. He was
Joe Sardinha, former president of the B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association, passed away August 31
Joe Sardinha Joe Sardinha, former president of the B.C. Fruit Growers' Association, passed away August 31, the Penticton Herald reported. The Summerland, B.C., orchardist served as president of the association from 2005 to 2011. He was 52. Sardinha was described as a great leader for the B.C. fruit
Obituaries
Albert Ravenholt was a visionary. In 1968, he and founding Sagemoor Farms partner Alec Bayless shared a belief that tree fruit and wine grapes would thrive in Washington’s Columbia Basin, an area then still mainly scrub brush and tumbleweeds. Ravenholt of Seattle, Washington, died on April 25 at the age
Lonnie Alvin Conner, 1925–2010
Pasco, Washington, juice grape grower Lonnie Conner, who devoted much of his life to industry and community affairs, died February 19 after a brief illness. He was 84. Conner, born in Kellogg, Idaho, served in the U.S. Army Infantry 94th Division from 1944 to 1946 and received a Bronze Star
Charles L. “Charlie” Bennett 1945-2010
Charles L. "Charlie" Bennett, 64, who spent his career working on the rootstock development program at Cornell University in Geneva, New York, died February 24. He began working in the mid-1960s for the New York State Fruit Testing Association in Geneva. He was mainly involved with plant propagation and was