I have just received this:
Phyllis, I want the ADS Daffnet readers to know that my uncle, Bill Pannill, passed away today (June 10).
He died in Roaring Gap, NC, with his family with him.
He loved the Daffodil World and especially its people!
[I can send you the obituary when it is ready.] Janie Vaughan
We have lost one of our icons, legends if you will and he will be sorely missed.
I am so sorry to know he is gone from us. Every encounter I had with him was a pleasure.
The daffodil world loved him, too. My deepest sympathy to Kit and his family.
Donna Dietsch
The daffodil world has lost one of its prime players. Bill Pannill was not only a great hybridizer he was also a good friend to the ADS. We commemorate our appreciation for the man with the Pannill Award given annually to an outstanding show quality daffodil. On top of that he had a wonderful sense of humor and was a great performer. I always enjoyed his panache and anytime he put on a little stage performance, singing a ditty or telling a story, it always put a smile on my face. One of my great memories will always be of Bill standing in a field of his own Chromacolor in full flower in Holland with what can only be described as rapture on his face.
On a personal note, when I started breeding miniature daffs, Bill went out of his way to get me a half a dozen flowering size bulbs of Candlepower. It was expensive and hard to find at that time and his gift got me started. I will forever be grateful to him for his support.
Rest well, Bill. You will not be forgotten. Our sympathy goes out to his family.
Harold Koopowitz, ADS President
Bill Pannill will be in my memory for the remainder of my life. When I first got into daffodils it was his encouragement and help that kept me going. I was lucky to be staging next to him several times in those early years and he taught me the art of friendly competition. Always a gentleman. I am proud to say that I believe that I am the record holder of the “Pannill Blue” ribbons. To those that don’t know that means 2nd place “Red” ribbons behind Bill on the show bench. Bill was generous and gave me many daffodils to improve my showing. I always looked forward to seeing him and chatting with him.
Clay
As Harold said
Nancy and I also remember Bill in his field of Chromacolor at the Pennings farm in Breezeland, the Netherlands. We remember him standing proudly in the field with thousands of his own daffodils. I am not sure if life can get any better than that! There is a photo of Bill and a field of Chromocolor at:: http://daffnet.org/world-daffodil-tour-chromacolor/ and another of Bill and a field of Oz and Toto at: http://daffnet.org/mr-pannill/
Bill really was a long time member of the ADS, a mentor to the ADS, and was an important part of the international daffodil community. I personally do not know half his accomplishments since Nancy and I joined the ADS later. I remember things like Bill’s big bids for the ADS bulb auctions and thinking to myself that he is helping support the ADS, not buying bulbs. I remember Bill, during the last Chicago convention, showing me the “latest” technology, his iPhone, during a driving rain storm (we were inside a temporary shelter – a tent). Bill was the kind of person that encouraged people to become involved in daffodils by sharing his knowledge and his daffodils.
If you go the the daffodil library site at http://dafflibrary.org/ and search for “Bill Pannill” you will see 208 matches for him. I see there that Bill received many awards including the ADS Silver medal in 1976 and the ADS Gold medal in 1984. He also was awarded the RHS’s Peter Barr Cup in 2000.
Yes Bill will be remembered by all those people that knew him. Nancy and I extend our sympathy to Kit and his family.
A Spark has gone out of the ADS! Bill Pannill was one of those people who could light up a small hotel room or a large convention with his humerous talent of speaking or singing one of those little ‘dittys’ as Harold called them which would wake up everyone, guaranteed, in the audience! But aside from his funny self, he was a good friend and excellent Hybridizer with flowers known around the world. And he was EXTREMELY proud of his many daffodil accomplishments as was very evident as he sat and beamed at everyone watching him in Jan Penning’s field of “Chromacolor”!
And although we have lost a very special friend, his memory will go on everytime we see one of those very special Bill Pannill flowers, or remember one of those memoriable fun times we had with Bill.
Bob and I send our heartfelt condolences to Kit, and to Bill’s family and friends.
My first encounter with the wonderful Pannill Spirit was at the always extraordinary Glouchester Show. We’d rushed down to Judge from DC, — a few blooms in tow. Bill sat serenely — deftly entering blooms. These beauties were huge, smooth — beautiful. Still the overwhelming glister of New Penny holds in my mind’s eye. Large collections flowed from his masterful hand. Then smaller ones and a few single stems found their way to the bench. His eye twinkled a bit, but the concentration was clear. He exchanged smiles and words with all of us rushing about, Bill remained calm, purposeful.
Later after the Judging, and all the wins, Bill, exuberant — exalted in the applause (and many silver Julep cups to fill his shopping bag). He loved to talk and cheer us even as we cherished our few “Pannill Blues”. He was a great treasure to be with, to know and see at many daffodil events. He will be missed even as we still treasure and coddle his wonderful daffodil creations.
Mary and I send heartfelt sympathies to Kit and all the family and to Bill’s many friends throughout the world.
Robert and Mary
I have just remembered a special Pannill moment. The year was 1982, the convention site was Nashville, and we were touring Alice Wray Taylor’s rambling log cabin. I found a pipe organ, and could not resist playing–the only music available was a Cokesbury hymn book. Bill wandered in, make picked it up, and began singing gospel music, with Quentin Erlandson making a duet. Talking about making the rafters ring! Dianne Mrak is right–a lot of the fun is gone out of the ADS with Bill’s passing. We grieve for Kit and his family, but we grieve for ourselves, too.
Loyce McKenzie