We were all saddened by the death of Rudolph "Rudi" Fuchs on June 8. Although primarily a grower of bearded irises, Rudi had become interested in Louisianas and spurias and grew most of the popular varieties. He had not missed an American Iris Society Convention since the 1974 one in Roanoke, VA and, despite his heart condition, he attended the May 1985 Convention in Indianapolis.
Rudi began attending the Society for Louisiana Irises meetings about 1978, grew perhaps 50 to 75 varieties of Louisianas and knew most of the growers across the country. His garden in Denton, TX contained cover an acre of bulbs, irises, daylilies and assorted plants, which he grew only as a hobby. His family donated 200 very recent tall bearded introductions to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden in his memory. About 10,000 of his irises were dug and sold by the Iris Society of Dallas in July. The money will be used to set up a memorial scholarship
in his name.
Besides his interest in flowers, Rudi played the piano in a dance band and was an accomplished weaver. He was retired from North Texas State University where he taught weaving in the Art Department. One of his projects each year was to weave a sui table design and make and send about 600 Christmas cards. The designs ranged from those of Christmas trees and reindeer to various types of irises. Many of his friends kept and framed these cards. A number of Texas newspapers and magazines have featured Rudi and his hobbies in recent years.