Those of us in the perennial world are morning the loss of retired professor, Dr. Steven Still, 80, who passed away earlier this month. Not only was Steven a professor of renown at The Ohio State University, where he taught for 25 years, but during that time, he was also the first Director of the Chadwick Arboretum, and author of The Manual of Herbaceous Ornamental Plants. Steven and his wife Carolyn (below), would go on to found and manage the Perennial Plant Association from 1984 until 2017. The International Association is where those involved with the perennial plant industry come to share and learn. Dr. Still was also past President of the International Plant Propagators Society Eastern Region, and has been honored with an array of awards including the Massachusetts Horticultural Society Gold Medal, The Medal of Honor from the Garden Club of America, and the Liberty Hyde Bailey Award from the American Horticultural Society. In additon to the awards, he is the namesake of the recently described California poppy, Eschscholzia papastillii. Thank you for your amazing contributions to our industry!
Thank you Tony for this lovely acknowledgement of the massive and far reaching impact Dr. Steven Still has had on our industry. I am so fortunate to have known him through the Perennial Plant Association. My involvement in this organization has enriched my life well beyond the realm of Horticulture. For that, I will always have a special place in my heart for both Steve and his lovely wife Carolyn.
May he rest in peace.
Janet Draper
He certainly leaves an enormous legacy, even to many who don’t even know his name.