We lost a kind and loyal friend when Francis "Fran" Raughley, Jr., died on July 5, 2008,
at the age of 86. Fran joined the Valley Forge Chapter in 1977 and remained an
active member until his death.
A life-long resident of Delaware, he was a project engineer at DuPont Company until he
retired in 1985. He spent his retirement years pursuing his passion for gardening,
attending the Barnes Foundation Arboretum School, volunteering as a garden guide
at Winterthur Gardens, and being an active member not only of several ARS chapters but
also of the Day Lily and Holly societies.
In 1986, Fran received the ARS Bronze Medal after serving as Valley Forge Chapter
librarian and director for many years and as chapter president from 1984-1986. In 2002,
he was honored by the University of Delaware's Goodstay Gardens for his work on its
Horticultural Advisory and Education Committees.
Fran was proud of his beautiful garden and shared it with others on many occasions. He
also will be gratefully remembered for procuring for us at almost every meeting a fine
selection of gardening books that satisfied every need and interest. We will greatly
miss him, and our thoughts are with his wife, Pauline, and his family.