Dear Miki, Julie and Ray,

Florence was one of heroes for many reasons.  From her adventurous flight to Alaska with Florence Weber to finding the love of her life, Dick, to building their two homes and raising their family at Lake Minchumina.  Florence and Dick were welcoming and kind to us from our first meeting, offering help when needed and good advice when asked.  Florence influenced our thinking about preserving our environment through her work with the Northern Alaska Center for the Environment.  She never lectured, but rather passed along readings from the extracts she was editing for the Center.  And reading those elevated our understanding of the critical nature of the scientific evidence for understanding the industrial threats to the health of natural systems.  Most of all,, Florence was a sterling example to us of how to live a full life.  Her calm, compassionate view of people and events at Lake Minchumina were a very positive influence on our ability to get along in the community.  When conflicts arose it was to Dick and Florence that we turned for understanding.  Florence was really helpful in sharing her kind perspective.

When Florence moved to the Pioneer Home we tried to stop for a visit whenever we were in town.  After she was confined to a wheelchair she told us she was taking the advice of her pal Celia Hunter, "if you can't walk, just keep wiggling".

Good advice, as usual.  We have missed having her as a neighbor, but she lives on in her influence on our lives d our happy memories of those times.

Sherri and Jack