HUGH-POPENOE-Obituary

HUGH POPENOE

Gainesville, Florida

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Gainesville, Florida

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POPENOE, HUGHHugh Popenoe, age 82 of Archer passed away Wednesday, September 21, 2011 in Gainesville. Born in 1929 in Tela, Honduras, Hugh devoted his life to the tropical world, its people, and its agriculture. His education in Guatemala prepared him for a B.Sc. in Irrigation and his first...

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Thanks to Hugh Popenoe I was able to study for my MSA and subsequently PhD at the University of Florida. He believed in me and my potential when nobody else did, and offered me the opportunity to prove myself as a scholar. I am forever indebted to him.

I still think of Hugh almost every day, as I continue my work in Latin America and as a professor. More than anything, Hugh taught me the importance of sharing one's knowledge and experience with others, and encouraging students to get involved in and stay involved in biocultural conservation work across the globe.

Mary and I were so sorry to just learn of Hugh's passing. He traveled numerous times to Bethel College in Kansas where he contributed to the Trans-Cultural Seminars under the sponsorship of Mennonite Central Committee. These seminars prepared young volunteers to work in developing countries under the auspices of the Mennonite Central Committee in 3-year service assignments. His lectures were always inspiring to these volunteers as well as the faculty and staff.

Betty - Chico and I were so sorry to hear of Hugh's passing.....please know that you are in our prayers and we will keep Hugh close at heart always..mary

Celebrating a life well lived. Dr. Popenoe was an amazing person. He was knowledgable and and loved sharing his life experiences with anyone that would listen. His water buffalo was his pride. I loved talking with Dr. Popenoe about his travels. He was a great man and I will surely be miss him.
I am proud to say he was a good friend that I enjoyed over the years. My condolences to his family.

Although I didn't know him well, we had many water buffalo exchanges in the UF parking lot and conversations as we exchanged the packages. We laughed at how it looked like it was a shady deal; packages for money! He was always so nice, and so many of my friends knew him well and spoke highly of him. He certainly made a positive impact here in the local food system. The world was so fortunate to have him. My thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.

I will always remember Hugh and the great many things he taught me. He was a gifted and generous teacher, adviser and good friend to me and my family. His ranch provided us with many interesting and happy memories. I will miss him - the world has lost a great person with irreplaceable knowledge. My condolences go out to Betty and his family.

In loving memory of a wonderful person. Celebrating a life well lived. Dr. Popenoe was an amazing person. He hired me back in 1985 when he was Director of International Programs/Center for Tropical Agriculture. One couldn't ask for a better boss. He was knowledgable and expertise in so many areas. His water buffalo was his pride. I learned a lot from him. He will surely be missed.

I never had the opportunity to meet Dr. Popenoe in person but thanks to the time between 1992 and 1994 I spent in Lancetilla Botanical Garden, one of his legacies, as part of my Forestry Technician studies in Honduras, I feel like I have lost a very good friend. Ricardo Brown-Salazar (Panama, Panama)