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Obitiuaries of Members and Friends of the SCAS

By Jason Frederick

Over the summer, our chapter lost not only members, but friends and supporters of Florida and Brevard County's natural treasures and its wildlife. We share the sadness of their loss with their families, but also cherish the memories that we have of them.

Margaret M. Hames passed away May 9, 2008. Margaret had many loves and interests as her membership to many organizations reflected. Some of them are the Brevard Landscape/Land-clearing Committee, the Florida Native Plant Society, the Turkey Creek Sanctuary Advisory Board, the Nature Conservatory, the American Horticultural Society, the Marine Resource Council, the Florida Academy of Science and the National Wildflower Foundation. She was a founding member of the Turkey Creek Sanctuary Committee and worked to preserve many environmental lands including Erna Nixon Hammock and Lori Wilson Park.

Margaret, along with Melbourne Villagers Hester Wagner and June Golder founded the Conradina (South Brevard) chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. In 1990 she helped to organize and campaign for Preservation Brevard, a political action committee that campaigned for a countywide referendum of land acquisition. The result was the passage of the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands (EELs) referendum in 1990.

Margaret's advocacy for environmental land acquisition, promotion of native plant preservation and environmental activism earned her many awards, including the Sierra Club Oak Leaf Award, Conservationist of the year from Audubon of Florida, Florida Native Plant Society Green Palmetto Service Award in 1988 and Mentor Award in 1996, and Person of the Year by Florida Environments magazine

GEORGES BLAHA passed away June 9, 2008. George as he was known was the husband of Patricia Blaha who served as the Editor of the Limpkin from the fall of 1979 till 1983. She also served from 1982 till 1984 as the chapter president. George escaped to Canada from the former Czechoslovakia. He was an amazing volley ball player both on the local and in state and national USA Volleyball championships, where he won many gold medals and All American awards. He was also a lover of Florida's wildlife and nature and worked hard to conserve it.

Ramon Ray John Serwin passed away August 30, 2008. Ramon was a member of the Siera Club, Wildlife Society and the National Audubon Society. He had been a member of the Space Coast Audubon Society for more than 9 years that I know of. He graduated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a degree in electrical engineering. He founded and was the CEO of G.P. Systems, an air pollution control enterprise. He was an active patron of the arts, being a generous supporter of the Palm Bay Theater, and he sat on the board of the Henegar Center. Ray was a veteran of the United States Air Force, serving during the Korean War. He was a devoted family man, always with a plan and goals to achieve. He loved travel, poetry, philosophy, and lots of laughter. He will be mourned for his great sense of humor and giving nature.

The information for these obituaries was collected from the obituaries published in the newspaper.