This virtual memorial is dedicated to those members of the Friends of Oscar Scherer Park, Inc who have contributed over and above to the support of Oscar Scherer State Park in maintaining the natural resources of the park and creating opportunities for visitors to experience the Real Florida.

Each of these volunteers has contributed in excess of 2000 volunteer hours to the Park and provided exceptional skills and dedication. 

He gave nature walks, built benches, and worked on the trails to keep them passable. Both he and his wife, Helen, served as officers on the board of the Friends of Oscar Scherer Park for several years.

Dick Janssen died June 28, 2008 at the age of 75 of complications after a surgery.

He pursued several of his passions after retiring as a senior editor at BusinessWeek in 1991. In addition to sharing his love of nature with others at the state park, the outgoing and curious retiree managed to combine his love of writing, travel and history. He published his first book, “The Evil I Do” in 2007 and was working on a second at the time of his death.

Born March 7, 1933, in St. Louis, he worked for newspapers in the St. Louis area after graduating from Washington University with a political science major in 1954 and serving in the Army.

He spent the majority of his career at the Wall Street Journal where he began as a business writer in Chicago in 1957 and later as an economics correspondent in Washington, the European bureau chief in London and a news editor in New York before joining BusinessWeek in 1981.

He moved to Sorrento East in 1995 from Millrift, Pa.

He was a member of several journalistic-related organizations as well as the Nature Conservancy, the Caledonian Club of Florida West and the Sarasota Fiction Writers.

As a volunteer at Oscar Scherer State Park beginning in 1987, Andy developed a comprehensive plant identification manual and guided plant walks. He was a founding member of the Friends of Oscar Scherer Park, Inc and served as it’s first Treasurer.

Andy was the Project Coordinator for the first large project undertaken by the Friends of Oscar Scherer Park, Inc. This was the construction of the 30 foot by 40 foot pavilion in the Youth Area. After the completion of the pavilion, Andy became an advisor member of the Friends Board of Directors. Andy’s sister Jean, and his daughter Pat, enjoyed exploring Oscar Scherer and canoeing with him in the park.

As one of the outstanding members of the Friends of Oscar Scherer, Inc he volunteered 3732 hours in support of Oscar Scherer State Park.

George and his wife, Joan, visited Sarasota County for the first time in 1986 and camped at Oscar Scherer State Park.. It was love at first sight. After moving to Venice, Florida he volunteered at the park and was one of the founders of the Friends of Oscar Scherer, Inc.

In 1991 he became Membership Chairman. He also gave lectures on astronomy using his telescope on clear nights. He led construction of the outdoor theater near the campfire area. Using his many skills he built a stone monument and a scale model of the proposed Nature Center. This model was key to the successful fund raising activities resulting in the Nature Center construction.

As one of the outstanding members of the Friends of Oscar Scherer, Inc he volunteered 1941 hours in support of Oscar Scherer State Park.
 

Dr. Stuart S. “Stu” Peters was born in Kingston, Ontario on July 8, 1924 where he was raised and attended school. In 1943 he graduated from R.C.A.F. pilot training and was posted to the European Operations of WWII.  During the war, Stu’s plane crashed and he broke several vertebrae in his back and underwent a slow painful recovery. In 1944, he was awarded the highest category (multi-engined) Instructor’s Certificate from the Royal Air Force #2 Flying Instructors School, Montrose, Scotland.

He graduated from Kingston Business College - Kingston, Ontario in 1946.  In 1955 he received a Bachelor of Science degree from NY State Agricultural College, Cornell University and in 1957 a Master of Science degree from Cornell University.  In 1961 he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Cornell with major studies in Natural Resources Management, Veterinary Pathology, and Forestry.

Upon his return to Canada he served in numerous positions of increasing responsibility over the next thirty years.  Only a few of them are listed here:

Chief Biologist and Director of Natural Resources Management Programs and Deputy Minister of Resources, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Special Advisor to the President of C.I.D.A. on Science and Resources

Canadian Representative of the 24 Nation Advisory Committee on the Application of Science and Technology serving the Untied Nations Economic and Social Council

Executive Director, Department of Lands and Forests, Government of Ontario

Governor of the Executive Committee of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council

Director, Atlantic Provinces Chamber of Commerce

Director, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Stuart and his wife Angela wintered in Nokomis for many years where he became very active with Oscar Scherer State Park and the Friends of Oscar Scherer Park.  He was an expert birder and started giving weekly bird walks that would include 30-40 park visitors.  He also was instrumental in developing a beginner bird walk that attracted many new visitors to the park and to the hobby of bird watching. These walks continued for several years and he also trained other volunteers to assist and lead guided bird walks. 

When there were events at the park, he’d cheerfully be there helping put up tents and selling the Friends’ wares.  He served on the board of the Friends for several years always willing to participate in the construction of projects such as the Youth area pavilion and the Lester Finley Trail, the park’s only totally accessible trail and the first of its kind in Florida.

While Stu recorded over 3000 hours of volunteer service in the park he will be most remembered as a special Friend to us all and as a true volunteer gentleman.

Stu died on January 2, 2009 in Windsor, Ontario following a long battle with kidney disease.
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John Mongelli joined the Friends of Oscar Scherer in March of 2003. In the ensuing years he became one of our most active members and one of the founding fathers of the Crusty Old Curmudgeon Club, the Monday/Wednesday work group.

Born Brooklyn, NY in 1934, his family moved to Washington, D.C. In public schools he was recognized as "Athlete of the Year " for his accomplishments on the football field. He enlisted in the Navy and from 1952 to 1954, served in the Korean War, after which he married and had four children. John was employed by Bell Atlantic for 38 years and lived in Greenbelt, Md. He served as a union steward at the phone company. In 1980, John met Jane, married in 1989 and spent thirty years together, eventually enjoying eighteen grandchildren.

Over the past eight years, John contributed over 2500 hours of volunteer labor at Oscar Scherer, participating in such projects as the construction of four bridges, the building of the shed at the Nature Center, the construction of the observation bench, the planting of 65 new trees, countless cords of firewood split, miles of trails cleared, and most recently the work he contributed on the Lake Osprey Trail. He was an active member of the Friends Board of Directors, always available to help park cars at events, guide hikers on the trails, assist with train rides, and there to help whenever he was needed.

A student and quoter of philosophy, one of his favorite quotes was:  "Life should not be a  journey to the grave with the intention of arriving in a pretty and well-preserved body. But rather a skid to the broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming - WOW, What a Ride!"

JAMIE Q. THEOBALD          (1931-2011)

Jamie Theobald was born in Oelwein, Iowa, the fifth of six brothers.  He attended the University of Iowa in Iowa City and majored in girls and cigars, so he said.  He left school to join the Navy as a white hat and was deployed to San Diego, then to Guam and Okinawa.
 
He had Midwestern values.  During his four years in the Navy, one of those years was spent at the same desk he would later occupy as a civilian.  Upon earning a living wage he married Jeannette Laslo in 1957.  They adopted Jodi in 1964 and Jill in 1965.  In 1966 Jamie was transferred to Taipei, Taiwan for a three year tour; it was there he climbed the ranks to an upper middle socioeconomic status.  Upon his return to the United States he made his home for his family in Crofton, Maryland.  In 1972 he was transferred to Alice Springs, Australia for a two year tour.  In 1980 Jamie was appointed to attend the Air War College in Montgomery, Alabama.  It was there that his daughters made him put his graded papers on the front of the refrigerator, as were theirs.  Back in Maryland in 1981 Jamie again gained recognition for his work and promotion.
 
In 1987 Jamie gave himself a Christmas gift, he retired to Florida saying "I wasn't born here, but I hurried". 

His 14 years as a volunteer at Oscar Scherer State Park was another gift he gave himself.  His time spent with his fellow volunteers (The Old Curmudgeons) were among his happiest memories.

Jamie began volunteering at Oscar Scherer in 1996 and donated over 3,000 volunteer hours to improve the park and provide visitor services.  He began as a regular member of the Monday workgroup and when that group expanded to include Wednesdays he added another four hours each week to his efforts.  Jamie was a key member of this group always willing to contribute critical thinking during the planning phase and hard labor during the execution.  He worked extensively on the building of the Lester Finley Trail, the Youth Camping area, the Observation Bench at Big Lake, and co-designed the footbridge across South Creek at the north end of the park.  The old adage of “measure twice and cut once” was never enough for Jamie.  It was more like “measure four times and then think about cutting”.

From 2007-2011 Jamie added yet another volunteer day when he shifted his efforts to the Nature Center.  His extensive knowledge of the park was invaluable in helping visitors find the perfect trail or activity in the park as well as directing them to the best of the local restaurants after their visit to the park.  He provided this service every Monday and Wednesday morning and also, every Saturday morning, he hosted the camper coffee which provided campers and visitors an opportunity to learn about the activities going on at the park over coffee, juice and doughnuts.  These days typically ran from 7AM to 1130AM every week.  Jamie was well known for his “expert coffee making” on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday and woe be the guy whose job it was to make coffee during a rare absence by Jamie although he frequently said “If you can count, you can make coffee.”

Jamie provided major contributions to the Friends of Oscar Scherer.  He served for six years on the Board of Directors helping to create the many goals of the organization and then was there to help make those goals a reality.  From 2007-2011 he was totally responsible for the many items of inventory sold by the Friends and spent countless hours working with vendors and other volunteers shaping the merchandising operation into a smooth running machine.

Jamie’s efforts to support Oscar Scherer State Park have had a tangible impact on the park but, most importantly, the values he displayed in all of his efforts have impacted all those that were privileged to work with him.