Lived Lived
This page is dedicated to our members who have passed away - a small tribute to their memory and their many contributions to the Horticultural Society
Diane Hemmings – NOTL Horticultural Society Member since 2009
It is with great sadness that we learned that one of our most valued members, Diane Hemmings, passed away on Wednesday February 3. 2021. She, together with her husband David, was a very active member of our Society for many years. Diane became a member in 2009, shortly after moving to Niagara-on-the-Lake. She joined the Board of Directors in 2014 and served as Co-President, with Marla Percy, from 2015 to 2017, during a time of reorganization of the Society.
Diane was an instrumental leader of our group for the last 6+ years and a keen volunteer in all Hort. Society activities and events, including our annual Plant Sale, Garden Tour, Flowers for Seniors and many others. In partnership with our Society, Diane chaired the Communities in Bloom committee for several years and was instrumental in Niagara-on-the-Lake receiving the International Award for Most Beautiful Town in the Medium sized community category in 2017 and the Heritage Conservation Outstanding Achievement Award in 2018. Together with Marla, she spearheaded the Society’s first ever participation in the annual NOTL Santa Claus Parade, in partnership with the Communities in Bloom Committee.
We will all miss Diane’s wise counsel, her dry wit and sense of humour and her constant willingness to help our Society improve and be more relevant to our community. As per the family’s wish, a donation in her memory will be made to the Niagara Historical Museum on behalf of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Horticultural Society. For more details, see this link to Diane’s obituary. https://www.morganfuneral.com/memorials/diane-moreau-hemmings/4519659/.
Sheila Hirsch Kalm - Life Member
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Sheila passed away on December, 18 2022. She was a Life member of the Hort. Society since 2009. Members will remember Sheila for her amazing and unique garden at her home on York Road. She was so proud to share it with our members on many occasions, whether it was for a “wee visit” for a small group or opening up her garden for hundreds of people as part of our annual Garden Tours. In addition to our society, she was a member of many other gardening and horticultural groups, including the Master Gardeners of Niagara, the Niagara Chapter of the Rhododendron Society of Canada, the Ontario Rock Garden and Hardy Plant Society, and many others. Sheila was instrumental in creating and building the beautiful Daffodil Gardens of Hope throughout the Niagara-on-the-Lake community in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. Our society recently recognized Sheila’s many years of promoting and nurturing gardens with a Garden Hero award as part of the 2022 Year of the Garden.
The NOTL Hort. Society will miss Sheila, her energy and enthusiasm, her wit, her extensive knowledge of plants, trees, and native specimens, and much more. A tribute to Sheila will be planned for spring 2023. For information on Sheila’s funeral service on Saturday, January 7, 2023, see this link.
Jean Cochrane - Lifetime Member
We were all very sad to learn of the passing of Jean Cochrane on Saturday, Jan 7 2023. Jean was a life member of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Horticultural Society, joining as a member in 1988.
She was instrumental, along with
Sheila Hirsch-Kalm, in developing and nurturing the Gardens of Hope Daffodil gardens, and was a founder of the popular Garden of the Week program. The loss of both Jean and Sheila Hirsch-Kalm, both within weeks of each other, marks the end of an era for our society.
A memorial for both members will be planned for the spring.
(nee Henry), beloved mother, grandmother, and retired teacher, passed away peacefully on February 21, 2023, at Hospice Niagara, in St. Catharines, Ontario after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Born on January 17, 1945, Ellen dedicated her life to her family, her teaching career, and being an active member of her community. Ellen will be fondly remembered by her friends at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Horticultural Society where she was an active member for many years.
Joanne Young - September 11, 2025
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Horticulturalist, Gardening Coach and Teacher, Past-President of the Hort Society, Joanne passed suddenly.
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For more than 30 years Joanne Young worked at Mori Gardens in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON as a Garden Designer and Consultant. She feels privileged over the years to have completed more than two thousand landscape designs of all sizes, for both commercial and residential properties.
She loves talking with people about their gardens and helping them to make their dream gardens become a “growing” reality. She spends a lot of time diagnosing diseased plant material and identifying insect problems and advising clients on possible solutions to their problems.
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As past-president of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Horticultural Society, Joanne has been involved in many community outreach projects including a pollinator garden at Newark Park Community Gardens and another pollinator garden at the William/Nassau Park. She was also provided design for the Niagara-on-the-Lake Library Gardens and Labyrinth located at the back of the building.
She has also have had many, many opportunities to teach seminars and lead workshops on various gardening topics which she enjoys doing greatly. She loves to see both experienced and novice gardeners get excited about plants and start to see the possibilities that lie undiscovered in their own yards.