The University of North Carolina Herbarium
(NCU) has catalogued approximately 50 of Fred Case's specimens. With only
about 10% of the collection catalogued, no doubt more specimens collected by
him will be found.
He was awarded the Peter H. Raven Scientific
Outreach Award by the American Society of Plant Taxonomists and the Arthur
Hoyt Scott Garden & Horticultural Award.
Longtime collaborator Larry Mellichamp named Sarracenis X casei, a natural hybrid between S. alabamensis ssp. wherryi
and S. psittacina, in honor of Fred
Case in 2008. Mellichamp has deposited
an isotype of this at NCU.
+++++
Anonymous (2011) Obituaries:
Frederick W. Case, Jr.
1927-2011 . Flora of North
America Newsletter 25(1): 13.
Well-known teacher and botanist Frederick W. Case Jr. passed away on
Wednesday, January 12, 2011, at 83.
The son of the late Julia Blanche (Coash) and Frederick W. Case Sr.,
was born February 16, 1927, in Saginaw, Michigan. He married Roberta Elizabeth (Boots)
Burckhart, February 14, 1953. She
passed away June 8, 1998. He was a
graduate of Arthur Hill High School and received his Bachelor of Science and
Master's in education from the University of Michigan. He served with the U.S. Army during
WWII. He returned to Arthur Hill High
where he taught biology and natural science until his retirement and was
named their Honor Alumnus in 1978.
Fred was named the Outstanding Biology Teacher in Michigan in 1971 and
Outstanding Science Teacher in 1987.
Fred and Roberta authored three books and authored or co-authored many
articles for magazines and scientific publications about native orchids,
trilliums, insectivorous plants, wildflowers, and gardening; among them are
his treatment of Trillium and Sarracenia (co-authored with Lawrence
Millichamp [sic]). He received
numerous awards and recognition for his achievements in botany and lectured
extensively. He had been associated
with Cranbrook Institute of Science, the University of Michigan Matthaei
Botanical Gardens, Longwood Gardens, the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources
Committee on Endangered and Threatened Plants, the Michigan Botanical Club,
North American Rock Garden Society, the Saginaw Valley Audubon Society, Saginaw
Valley Orchid Society, The Nature Conservancy, Michigan Nature Association,
and many other horticultural groups.
He enjoyed opera, theatre, reading traveling, fine dining, and
ketchup. Those planning an expression
of sympathy may wish to consider the Nature Conservancy of Alabama, Roberta
Case - Pine Hill Reserve, the Michigan Nature Association, the Children's Zoo
at Celebration Square, or the charity of their choice.
+++++++
Johnson, Bob. January 14, 2011. A Life Remembered: Frederick W. Case, Jr. The Saginaw News. Saginaw, Michigan, USA.
Nature lover, educator, botanist and expert
gardener Frederick W. Case Jr. never forgot a student’s name, relatives
recalled. The longtime biology and
natural science teacher at Arthur Hill High School died of complications from
prostate cancer Wednesday. A resident
of Thomas Township, he was 83. “He was
a prominent teacher at Arthur Hill for a long time. He cared about his students and never
forgot their names, “said son, David B. Case of Thomas Township. The son recalled a time on vacation when a
former student approached his father.
“He didn’t think my dad remembered him. Not only did Dad remember his name, he
called off the name of the students that sat around him,” said Case, 54. “What shocked me was that the kid was in
his class 30 years earlier,” said Frederick Case’s daughter-in-law, Sharon
Leaman-Case, 54. “He never forgot a
name.” David case said his dad also
enjoyed opera, classical music and fine dining. Frederick was married to Roberta Case for
45 years, until her death in 1998. And
besides being “a champion of his students,” Frederick Case was passionate
about orchids, flowers and nature, his son said. Case was a founding member of the Saginaw
Valley Orchid Society, his son said.
Frederick Case wrote or co-wrote “Orchids of the Western Great Lakes
Region, “ “Trillium” and “Wildflowers of the Great Lakes Region.” He won the All Area Arts Award in 2002 from
the Saginaw Community Enrichment Commission.
“He also wrote numerous articles on plants, gardens and orchids,” his
son said. “People worldwide visited
his garden. Someone could call to ask
him a question about gardening, and he would invite them over. They would most of the times leave with
plants and his friendship.” Sharon
Leaman-Case said her father-in-law once turned down an offer from Martha
Stewart to take pictures in his garden.
“She was just starting out on television and wanted to take pictures
of his garden and interview him, but he didn’t know who she was, so he turned
her down. I would always tease him
about it,” she said.
SELECTED
PUBLICATIONS
Kiger, Robert W., Frederick W. Case, Jr., and
J. Chris Pires. 2001. New infraspecific names in North American
Liliales. Taxon 50(1): 201.
Wells, James R., Frederick W. Case, Jr., and
T. Lawrence Mellichamp. 1999. Wildflowers of the Western Great Lakes
Region. Cranbrook Institute of
Science, Bulletin 63, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Case, Frederick W. and Roberta B. Case.
1997. Trilliums. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. ISBN 0-88192-374-5.
Case, Frederick W., Jr. 1987.
Orchids of the Western Great Lakes Region. Revised Edition. Cranbrook Institute of Science, Bloomfield
Hills, Michigan.
Case, Frederick W., Jr. 1978.
Wild Flowers of the Northeastern States. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Case, Frederick W., Jr. 1964. Orchids of the Western Great Lakes
Region. Cranbrook Insitute of
Science, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
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