Re: [Aroid-l] Death of Julius Boos

From: Alistair Hay <ajmhay at hotmail.com> on 2010.07.13 at 04:57:06(21182) I am sad to hear this. Julius was a real gentleman - charming, funny, clever, immensely knowledgeable and very generous. I am so glad I had the opportunity of meeting him, as well as corresponding with him over the years. Alistair HTML +More > Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:11:24 -0400 > From: oppenhauser2001@gmail.com > To: Aroid-L@www.gizmoworks.com > Subject: [Aroid-l] Death of Julius Boos > > Dear Friends, > > It is with great sadness that I report the passing this weekend of the > incomparable Julius Boos. Even passive readers of this space will > recognize the importance of this man for the world of aroids and in > the vitality of the discussions that are recorded here. While we are > blessed with a number of remarkable people in the International Aroid > Society, few will argue that Julius was one of the most remarkable. > Anyone fortunate enough to have met him personally will remember the > radiance of his personality. He was just as ready to speak on equal > terms with the greenest greenhorn as with seasoned aroid specialists > steeped in decades of experience. I am grateful to have known him as a > friend. Julius had many, many friends. > > Of course, we all knew him as an authority on aroids, especially > regarding their practical cultivation and the fascinating interface of > the plants with humans. He was a special expert in the world of edible > aroid “chubas” (“chubas” is an endearing term invented by this aroid > list and refers to how Julius pronounced the ordinary English “tubers” > in his charming Trinidadian accent), taking advantage of his lifetime > in South America, Florida, and the Caribbean islands, and his > unapologetic love of food. We were fond of joking that if a dispute > arose about the identity of an aroid “chuba”, we could always send a > specimen to Julius and he would figure out what is was by taking a > bite.. > > Trinidadian by birth and inclination, his understanding of the natural > history of tropical areas was profound. His interests were unlimited > as far as I could tell. For last year’s International Aroid Society > Annual Show, I was fortunate to have the opportunity of driving him > from his home in West Palm Beach to Miami. Although already > experiencing the effects of his cancer at that time, he spoke to me > almost nonstop the entire way. Topics ranged widely. Invariably one > thing reminded him of another and so the threads of conversation would > wander here and there, but always coherent and never tedious. I should > emphasize that Julius’s knowledge of his favorite topics was > extensive, well-considered, and typically included a host of acute > observations and facts that you would not find written down anywhere > (except perhaps in one of his own writings). He involved himself in > disputes on occasion with this or that “expert”. I would love to know > his lifetime batting average in these differences of opinion. My bet > is that Julius was right more often than he was wrong. > > All his conversation was interspersed with an amazing set of anecdotes > drawn from his wide experience. Much of what he knew will die with > him, of course. Many of his stories related to interesting > individuals, now long dead, with particular knowledge lost to history. > Several of these stories were recorded by him in past months and are > available for all to hear on the web site of his friend and neighbor, > Ted Knight (www.tedknight.com/julius/julius.htm). I recommend > listening to them as they not only relate the particular history, but > capture the cadence and beautiful accent that made Julius such an > engaging raconteur. This site also hosts quite a few pictures of > Julius and friends. > > Now we have lost two pillars of the International Aroid Society in a > short month’s time: Julius Boos and Tricia Frank. We can only hope > that new blood will take up the leadership roles to ensure the > continued success of our organization into the future. This would be > the finest memorial for the both of them. > > Readers here should also know how important Aroid-L was to Julius. In > his prime (not so many months ago) he would be in the thick of > extended back-and-forth discussions of identification clarifications > and of mysteries being hashed out. Frequently the topic would shift > slightly and involve any number of interesting tangents. Dry botanical > terms would be explicated. Recipes for tasty island dishes > incorporating “chubas” would be exchanged. Cultivation advice would be > given. This life of the “net” was a huge part of what inspired Julius; > and everyone who contributed helped pump up, even more, Julius’s > already high energy level. In his waning days he would still read the > posts, occasionally typing in some abbreviated response despite being > so weak. Your postings inspired him to the last and made enduring his > miserable disease easier. > > It is a sad time for all of us. As always, life will go on and all of > us in the International Aroid Society hope that the upcoming show this > fall will serve to continue Julius’s and Tricia’s work to inform the > world of the deeper joys of keeping our favorite plants. May they both > rest in peace and know that the work goes on. > > Julius is survived by his dear wife, Suzie. My thoughts are with her. > > Ted Held > Detroit --_27f6b8a6-f0fd-4158-8efb-b43e8815ec66_-- --==============ˆ70194037473204534=

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