Thomas Lawrence Mellichamp
October 4, 1948 – September 12, 2022
On Monday, September 12, 2022 the world lost a dear friend and leading botanical light. Larry changed and inspired the lives of many students and colleagues during his stay with us.
His knowledge, sense of humor, and teaching skill will live on through the many who knew him. Larry was able to attend the 2022 Cullowhee Native Plant Conference in July, where he continued to share his knowledge of the natural world through talks and walks. At this event, he took a group to a cranberry bog near the Blue Ridge Parkway, identifying and sharing knowledge about all the plants along the the way to the bog.
Larry and his wife Audrey became Life Members of the NC Native Plant Society in the 1980s. Larry was an NCNPS president, chaired many committees over the years, served as a very entertaining auctioneer at the plant auctions, and led many, many hikes and walks. On walks, someone was always assigned to get Larry out of the parking lot and onto the trail, because he would start identifying plants in the parking lot. With his prodigious knowledge the group might spend an hour there unless nudged onward.
Commemorative Edition Newsletter in Larry’s remembrance.
Here’s his Obituary and a place to leave a Tribute. And you can still listen to his knowledge in recorded talks on YouTube.
