Andrew Lee Guthrie, Association member since 1982, passed away Friday 24 July in the United Kingdom from complications of renal cancer.
A native West Virginian, Andrew earned his BS Plant Science and MS Horticulture from West Virginia University. Andrew served as Vice-president of the WVU Horticulture Club; and he is a member of Alpha Zeta, the fraternal organization for agriculture and natural resources professionals. He subsequently earned a diploma in Botanical Garden Management from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and a diploma in Garden Design from The Garden Design School in London. After a nine-month internship at the Pittsburgh Civic Garden Center (now Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden’s Pittsburgh Garden Place), Andrew managed a wholesale/retail nursery in Pittsburgh until he was hired as The Pittsburgh Zoo’s first Gardener in its then 90 year history. In 1991 Andrew moved to the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands where he took up the post of Curator of the Joseph Reynold O’Neal Botanic Gardens and he also managed the gardens at Government House (the Royal Governor’s official residence). In 1995 Andrew accepted the post of General Manager of the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. Andrew considered his 15 years at the Botanic Park as the highlight of his career and was proud of his accomplishments in helping to guide the Botanic Park from its infancy into a beautiful and functional botanical garden. While at the Botanic Park, Andrew represented the Cayman Islands at the Chelsea Flower Show in London by designing two gardens. Winning silver in 2008 and gold in 2009.
In 2010 Andrew accepted the post of Garden Manager for the Royal Horticultural Society’s flagship garden Wisley Gardens. Eleven months after arriving at Wisley, Andrew was diagnosed with cancer and had two major surgeries after which he was no longer able to work. Andrew is survived by his husband Nicholas Colman, his mother, two brothers and two cousins.
