So sorry to hear about Ben's death. Even though I have not been active in
this list for quite a while, I do remember gladly reading Ben's emails
about gardening in Simi Valley and especially the horticultural therapy
side of his garden for his family.
Very sad news indeed.
----- Original Message -----
From:
T*@plantsoup.com
To: m*@ucdavis.edu
Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2012 10:51
PM
Subject: Sad news about Ben
Armetrout-Wiswall
Dear Friends
In today's mail I came across an envelope from the Armentrout-Wiswal
Family - that would be list member Ben Armentrout's family. I expected
it to be another of their periodic updates about how Ben, his husband Tom, and
their three children growing are doing.
Instead, it is an announcement of a memorial honoring Ben.
My heart is broken. Ben was a big man with a big heart who, with Tom,
adopted three children with spina biffida. Ben gave up his landscape
business to be a full time daddy to those three, beautiful children.
They live in Simi Valley, a suburb north of Los Angeles where the
climate is brutally hot and dry. If you recall, Ben's emails to the
listerv were often about his struggle to create a family-friendly, climate
appropriate garden in their extremely challenging climate.
A year ago, Ben was diagnosed with cancer and underwent a surgery that
resulted in his stomach being removed. I just looked back at the
messages I received around that time and they were all very positive.
Recovery was a challenge - he had to learn to eat a totally different
way and his ability to care for his children and his garden were
limited. I got the impression that being cared for rather than being the
caregiver was quite an adjustment.
Perhaps some of you were more aware of his situation than I, as the
memorial announcement stunned me. Ben was 49 years old.
There was a memorial today in New York, and another scheduled for next
Sunday, July 8, at 3 pm at All Saints Episcopal Church, 504 North Camden
Drive, Beverly Hills, California. The announcement says that all are
welcome and there is no need to RSVP.
Nan
