I met Dick while we were all members of the Houston Hemerocallis Society in Houston that met at night at the Garden Center. But we didn’t become real friends until Lone Star Daylily Society was formed. Dick had such a love of the beauty he saw in the flowers - just like he had for his family and friends. He was such a wonderful teacher, too, and he taught us all in ways that I’m sure he never realized. Dick never could say no, and he wouldn’t let others say it either if he could help it. He would contrive some way to get everybody involved without them even realizing what they’d gotten themselves into. But he made it all a joy too. Dick had so many jobs with Lone Star that one person could never hope to do them all. What is it that they say - nobody is irreplaceable?. Well, that’s true. But one person won’t replace Dick. It will take the combined effort of the club to do all the things he did for us all. Dick literally made Lone Star Daylily Society the club it is today - one of the leading clubs in Texas - in my view. He was so proud of its accomplishments, but it was a lot because of him that it has come to the club it is today. I’ll miss him at our meetings, our planning strategies, our auctions, our dinners, but mostly I’ll miss him as my friend. --Leon and Paula Payne
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