In Memory

Martha Barton, 2006

Judie Branson, 2020

Suzy Brooks, 2017

Linda Brown, 2001

Jean Collins, 2012

Betty Compton, 2019

Janie Eldridge, 2010

Sara Fixmer, 2020

Valerie Fletcher, 2012

John Cyrus Gilbreath III, 2014

Marty Gray, 2013

Kelly Hanthorn, 2006

Sunny Hinshaw, 2014

Pauline Keegan, 2018

Delia Korte, 2007

Jo McChristian, 2005

Beverly Melton, 2013

Gwen Millager, 2012

Carolyn Miller, 2018

Gloria Mills, 2018

Jane Parette, 2008

Dorothy Rae Bien, 2012

Kerri Russell, 2020

Ginny Stamps, 2018

Johnny Sutherland, 2020

Sandy Turner, 2008

RICKY CANDRILLI
September 29, 1948–March 1, 2023

Ricky was born on September 29, 1948, in Portsmouth, Virginia, and died March 1, 2023, at age 74. He lived on Felkins Creek near Kingston, Arkansas, for the last 48 years.

He is survived by his wife, Ginger, and five siblings. He moved to Arkansas after serving in the Vietnam War. Ricky and Ginger were lifetime members of Washington County Master Gardeners and also Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists, volunteering countless hours giving back to the community. They also worked tirelessly with the Beaver Watershed Alliance to prevent erosion on watershed lands by planting 350 trees.

His full obituary may be found in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, March 3, 2023.

Photo by Marty Powers

BARBARA ANN GARVEY JACKSON
September 27, 1929–September 20, 2022

Barbara’s Master Gardener trainee year was 1993 and she became a lifetime member in 2008. She remained a member of Washington County Master Gardeners for 29 years.

Dr. Jackson was a highly regarded faculty member in the Music Department at the University of Arkansas, where she received the Master Teacher Award during her more than 30 years of service. Her research focused on women composers of the 17th and 18th centuries. She was very active in publishing her own research and that of fellow scholars.

Her full obituary may be found in the NWA Democrat-Gazette, September 26, 2022.

PETER THOMAS LORIS
July 8, 1928–November 27, 2022

Pete Loris was a dedicated Master Gardener, starting with in the Sebastian County/River Valley Master Gardener group in 1994, and went on to serve as their president. While living in Fort Smith he held a variety of positions with the U.S. Postal Service, as he and Jeanette raised their two sons.

In 1996, Pete and Jeanette moved to Fayetteville where both joined the Washington County Master Gardeners. He was often seen working at Headquarters House, the Washington County Extension Office grounds, and Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. He also served on the City of Fayetteville’s Tree and Landscape Committee, and worked with Sue Madison to prepare a guide for the Tree Trail at the University of Arkansas campus.

His full obituary may be found in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, November 30, 2022.

JOYCE MENDENHALL
August 27, 1947–February 25, 2023

As a Missouri native Joyce graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with a business degree in 1969. This led to a 35-year career in management with the F. W. Woolworth Company. After being transferred by Woolworth to Fayetteville, Arkansas, she changed careers and worked 18 years for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Berni Kurz, staff chair for the Washington County Extension Service when Joyce worked there, recalls that Joyce was very a effective manager, organizer, and supporter of the Master Gardeners at local and state levels.

Joyce completed Master Gardener training in 1999 and in 2000 was named Washington County and Arkansas Master Gardener of the Year. She was a founding member of a Master Gardener leadership group founded by Janet Carson, Extension’s horticulture specialist. Joyce later served with County 76, the statewide Master Gardener advisory group.

Locally, Joyce was especially active with the Garden Explorers 4-H group, spreading the joy of gardening to young people. She worked at Headquarters House and the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks (BGO) as a Master Gardener and a BGO board member. She was named BGO’s 2015 Volunteer of the Year. In 2022 BGO honored Joyce for 15 years of service, although she began her work with them much earlier. She was active in organizing the Northwest Arkansas Flower, Garden, and Nature Society’s annual garden tours, and wrote for Arkansas Gardener magazine for several years.

Her full obituary may be found in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, March 26, 2023.

LOIS SLUSAREK
September 19, 1933–January 12, 2021

Lois shared her passion for nature and teaching by volunteering with the Washington County Master Gardeners to educate local public-school students on various aspects of the natural environment. She also volunteered for many years at two WCMG projects: Headquarters House and the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks. She was a past president and was recognized as the 2013 Master Gardener of the Year. Lois was a lifelong educator with degrees from the University of Wisconsin and Arizona State University. She taught high school biology in Wisconsin, Arizona, and Springdale, Arkansas. She was named “Biology Teacher of the Year” for the state of Arkansas in 1977. She cofounded a fitness center and taught water aerobics for over 30 years. As a retired senior, she audited much of the science curriculum at the University of Arkansas, focusing especially on botany.

Her full obituary may be found in the NWA Democrat-Gazette, January 15, 2021.

BETTY JUNE SWOPE
September 25, 1930–February 8, 2021

Missouri native Betty Swope enjoyed a forty-two year career as secretary to the vice president of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Betty’s Master Gardener trainee year was 1998 and she continued serving as a lifetime member of the Washington County Master Gardeners. Her most active projects were Headquarters House, the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, Junior Master Gardeners, and the Washington County Fair. She was named Master Gardener of the Year in 2002.

Her full obituary may be found in the NWA Democrat-Gazette, February 19, 2021.

Martha Barton, 2006

Judie Branson, 2020

Suzy Brooks, 2017

Linda Brown, 2001

Jean Collins, 2012

Betty Compton, 2019

Janie Eldridge, 2010

Sara Fixmer, 2020

Valerie Fletcher, 2012

John Cyrus Gilbreath III, 2014

Marty Gray, 2013

Kelly Hanthorn, 2006

Sunny Hinshaw, 2014

Pauline Keegan, 2018

Delia Korte, 2007

Jo McChristian, 2005

Beverly Melton, 2013

Gwen Millager, 2012

Carolyn Miller, 2018

Gloria Mills, 2018

Jane Parette, 2008

Dorothy Rae Bien, 2012

Kerri Russell, 2020

Ginny Stamps, 2018

Johnny Sutherland, 2020

Sandy Turner, 2008

RICKY CANDRILLI
September 29, 1948–March 1, 2023

Ricky was born on September 29, 1948, in Portsmouth, Virginia, and died March 1, 2023, at age 74. He lived on Felkins Creek near Kingston, Arkansas, for the last 48 years.

He is survived by his wife, Ginger, and five siblings. He moved to Arkansas after serving in the Vietnam War. Ricky and Ginger were lifetime members of Washington County Master Gardeners and also Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists, volunteering countless hours giving back to the community. They also worked tirelessly with the Beaver Watershed Alliance to prevent erosion on watershed lands by planting 350 trees.

His full obituary may be found in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, March 3, 2023.

Photo by Marty Powers

BARBARA ANN GARVEY JACKSON
September 27, 1929–September 20, 2022

Barbara’s Master Gardener trainee year was 1993 and she became a lifetime member in 2008. She remained a member of Washington County Master Gardeners for 29 years.

Dr. Jackson was a highly regarded faculty member in the Music Department at the University of Arkansas, where she received the Master Teacher Award during her more than 30 years of service. Her research focused on women composers of the 17th and 18th centuries. She was very active in publishing her own research and that of fellow scholars.

Her full obituary may be found in the NWA Democrat-Gazette, September 26, 2022.

PETER THOMAS LORIS
July 8, 1928–November 27, 2022

Pete Loris was a dedicated Master Gardener, starting with in the Sebastian County/River Valley Master Gardener group in 1994, and went on to serve as their president. While living in Fort Smith he held a variety of positions with the U.S. Postal Service, as he and Jeanette raised their two sons.

In 1996, Pete and Jeanette moved to Fayetteville, where both joined the Washington County Master Gardeners. He was often seen working at Headquarters House, the Washington County Extension Office grounds, and Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. He also served on the City of Fayetteville’s Tree and Landscape Committee, and worked with Sue Madison to prepare a guide for the Tree Trail at the University of Arkansas campus.

His full obituary may be found in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, November 30, 2022.

JOYCE MENDENHALL
August 27, 1947–February 25, 2023

As a Missouri native Joyce graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with a business degree in 1969. This led to a 35-year career in management with the F. W. Woolworth Company. After being transferred by Woolworth to Fayetteville, Arkansas, she changed careers and worked 18 years for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Berni Kurz, staff chair for the Washington County Extension Service when Joyce worked there, recalls that Joyce was very a effective manager, organizer, and supporter of the Master Gardeners at local and state levels.

Joyce completed Master Gardener training in 1999 and in 2000 was named Washington County and Arkansas Master Gardener of the Year. She was a founding member of a Master Gardener leadership group founded by Janet Carson, Extension’s horticulture specialist. Joyce later served with County 76, the statewide Master Gardener advisory group.

Locally, Joyce was especially active with the Garden Explorers 4-H group, spreading the joy of gardening to young people. She worked at Headquarters House and the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks (BGO) as a Master Gardener and a BGO board member. She was named BGO’s 2015 Volunteer of the Year. In 2022 BGO honored Joyce for 15 years of service, although she began her work with them much earlier. She was active in organizing the Northwest Arkansas Flower, Garden, and Nature Society’s annual garden tours, and wrote for Arkansas Gardener magazine for several years.

Her full obituary may be found in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, March 26, 2023.

LOIS SLUSAREK
September 19, 1933–January 12, 2021

Lois shared her passion for nature and teaching by volunteering with the Washington County Master Gardeners to educate local public-school students on various aspects of the natural environment. She also volunteered for many years at two WCMG projects: Headquarters House and the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks. She was a past president and was recognized as the 2013 Master Gardener of the Year. Lois was a lifelong educator with degrees from the University of Wisconsin and Arizona State University. She taught high school biology in Wisconsin, Arizona, and Springdale, Arkansas. She was named “Biology Teacher of the Year” for the state of Arkansas in 1977. She cofounded a fitness center and taught water aerobics for over 30 years. As a retired senior, she audited much of the science curriculum at the University of Arkansas, focusing especially on botany.

Her full obituary may be found in the NWA Democrat-Gazette, January 15, 2021.

BETTY JUNE SWOPE
September 25, 1930–February 8, 2021

Missouri native Betty Swope enjoyed a forty-two year career as secretary to the vice president of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Betty’s Master Gardener trainee year was 1998 and she continued serving as a lifetime member of the Washington County Master Gardeners. Her most active projects were Headquarters House, the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, Junior Master Gardeners, and the Washington County Fair. She was named Master Gardener of the Year in 2002.

Her full obituary may be found in the NWA Democrat-Gazette, February 19, 2021.