This morning I received an email from Naomi Liggett with some sad news:
“Sad news. Tag (Delores) Bourne died this am. She was a long time member of ADS and Board member for many years.”
Many of you will know Tag from her long-standing love of daffodils. She was particularly fond of the poeticus hybrids. She was a stalwart of the Central Ohio Daffodil Society, having served for many years as the Editor of that Society’s publication, CODS Corner. A long-time member of ADS, she served over the years as the Chairman of the Slide Program/Photography, Awards, and Librarian Committees. She was a Director-at-Large and an ADS Accredited Judge. She was the recipient of the ADS Silver Medal in 1993.
She had been ill the last few years, but still managed to get out to see the local show. She will be missed by many. Our condolences to her family.
Mary Lou
She was also chair of awards for several years.
Naomi
Tag earned remembrance by all of us for a long term.
Tag was such a loving gentle soul, she will be greatly missed by all her daffodil friends. I don’t think she ever missed a CODS Show even dragging around her oxygen tank. She really loved her daffodils and showing them. Rest in peace my friend.
I am so saddened to hear of Tag’s death. She was just a lovable person, fun loving, and a joy to be around.
My favorite memory of Tag: Years back, ADS was holding a Convention and National Show in Nashville (or it could have been a FBM, who knows?). We were in a downtown hotel. I talked Tag and Naomi Liggett into going with me to a nearby bar to drink frozen margaritas. I offered to buy. Tag about bowled me over headed out the door of the hotel. So we were walking at a brisk pace—the couple of blocks to the bar. We were very close to Vanderbilt University and there seemed to be lots of students all around. It was a thriving social scene. While walking along, Tag’s pantyhose suddenly fell all the way to her ankles. It was a sight. As she was attempting to gracefully and nonchalantly pull her wayward pantyhose back up—a convertible full of what appeared to be Vanderbilt male students rolled by. They were “wolf whistling” at Tag. When we finally made it to the bar, it was so crowded we couldn’t get in the door. We continued on searching for a frozen margarita.
For all the years after, Tag would always say to me, “You still owe me a margarita!” I bought her numerous margaritas as the years rolled by, but she always maintained she never got her margarita. But, she would say—the pursuit was worth the attention she had received from the college boys on the street. Tag loved to tell this story and had gotten so good at it she could even muster a blush when she would relate how the “boys wolf whistled at me, trying to pull up my pantyhose!”
The last time I saw Tag was at the ADS Convention in Columbus, OH in APR 2013. The first thing she said to me was, “You still owe me a margarita.” And then she launched into her infamous story for everyone at her table. I slipped away, went to the bar, and brought back to her yet another frozen margarita.
As ADS Awards Chair, Tag was the Queen of Kisses. During the National Show Awards Ceremony, Tag delighted us all—bestowing ribbons and medals, but also sweet kisses on the cheek for all the lucky winners.
I feel very fortunate that my life’s path here on Planet Earth, intersected with Dolores “Tag” Bourne. I am richer for knowing her, despite how many margaritas I had to spring for all those years. A Grande Dame of the Daffodil World has departed.
With sadness but also admiration,
Jaydee Atkins Ager
So sad to hear this news. Alas, another of our ADS friends and house guests gone. We greatly enjoyed a visit from Tag & Hube many years ago. They were great fun.
Brian & Betty
Very sad news. I remember wonderful times with Tag when we stayed in the home of Ruth Pardue before the Knoxville shows. You would find Tag out in Ruth’s beautiful garden bird watching–another of her loves. She was a friend, a good judge and exhibitor and a wonderful person who will be missed.
Beverly
Here in the Midwest, for some years now, we have missed seeing Tag at every show in this region. She was a great exhibitor and judge.
I like daffodils that have green in them, Tag did not! My first was Limey Circle at my first convention in Nashville. I bought it as soon as possible and showed it any time it was blooming, At every show, Tag would stand back and announce, ‘I detest that thing!’ Then turn and say to me, ‘It’s just cold damage!’ She knew I was showing it just for her !
And yes, she was a terrific birder. At the 2000 World Convention in Ireland, Hue and Tag were sitting in front of us on a bus tour. She came back onto the bus after a stop, very excited, exclaiming that she’d seen a Blue Tit. My husband Paul remarked, ‘I see 2 every morning, Tag’. No one laughed harder than Tag and Hue !
Both were lovely people.
Linda
I too join in the Praise of Tag; She was a very cordial person. I will miss her meeting with everyone these past few years with her effort to attend CODS shows, and Regional meetings when they were close at hand.. She was missed by me the past to or Three years that she could not travel to our Show here at the Barn in Washington,PA…
Tag, I guess the Lord decided he needed you more than ADS..
Joe
Bourne, Delores S.
1927 – 2018
Delores Simons Bourne slipped away peacefully on December 20, 2018 after a long illness. The youngest daughter of Rev. Frank Simons and Ruth Carter Simons of Carlisle, KY she earned the nickname Tag when she was a little girl as she was often seen tagging along behind her two siblings and the family dog. She was a kind, gentle and funny woman who loved her children more than life itself. She laughed easily and always made friends wherever she went.
She was married for 66 years to her beloved husband Hubert, who loved her passionately and preceded her in death. They were devoted to each other and approached each day together hand in hand. You would often see them working together in their garden at home on Shady Hill in the quest to raise the perfect daffodil or out birding trying to add one more beautiful species to their list. They had a love of travel that took them around the world together. They had three children: Michael Todd Bourne (spouse Debbie Thompson Bourne), Jeffrey Carter Bourne, and Sallie Kate Arnett (spouse Timothy Clark Arnett).
Tag’s passion was growing, showing and judging exhibition daffodils. She made many dear and lifelong friends along the way through garden club, Central Ohio Daffodil Society and the American Daffodil Society. This passion added to her travels as she was off to a daffodil show with her friends almost every weekend in the spring. She enjoyed educating others about daffodils and was a frequent presenter at events throughout the country. She was the first woman to judge daffodils at the Royal Horticulture Society show in London, England.
She was also an active member of Riverside Methodist Church in Upper Arlington and enjoyed the many dear friends she made there. We will hold her in our hearts until we see her again.
Family will receive friends from 4-7pm on Thursday, January 10, 2019 at SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST CHAPEL, 1740 Zollinger Road in Upper Arlington. A Memorial Service will be held at 11am on Friday, January 11, 2019, Riverside United Methodist Church, 2701 Zollinger Road in Upper Arlington, with a luncheon & gathering to follow.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the National Audubon Society or Licking Memorial Health Foundation. Please visit http://www.schoedinger.com to share memories and condolences.
There was a memorial of sorts for Tag this evening, she would have been so pleased her daughter was able to find some daffodils, they were just opening. She was not sure where they came from thought maybe Europe. The funeral service will be in the morning.