Loss of a valued member and great friend to the SRGC

[Maggi Young]

 

Luite Cornelius Johannes van Delft -  "Luggi"

27th April 1940 - 14th October 2016

"When I come back to the world,

I'll come again as a Gardener,

and the next time I live too,

since this job is too big for one lifetime."

It is with great sadness that we have  learned of the death of Luit Van Delft. Many of you will be aware of the wonderful posts from Liut over many years about the  Lisse weekly flower shows of the KVAB and of the vast bulb collection of his dear friend Cees Breed, as well as his posts  telling of his own experiences  and knowledge of plants.  He was exceptionally generous to the SRGC and his friendly and expert advice were  gratefully received and freely given.  Luit, with his  charming wife Vroni were a delight to know and it was wonderful to be able to welcome them to the Discussion Weekend of the SRGC when they travelled in the UK.
Luit survived  serious health problems some years ago so his demise now has  hit us with even greater sadness.
 Ian and I - and I am sure  so many more of those who had the pleasure to know Luit - send Vroni,  Karin, Mike and Edwin our sincerest condolences on their loss.



 A funeral service for Luit will be held  on Thursday 27 October at 1400 hours in the Crematorium Duin en Bollenstreek, Achterweg-62 Zuid in Lisse.
 After the ceremony there is an opportunity to offer condolences in the coffee room of the Crematorium.
 

[fermi de Sousa]

So sad to hear this, Maggi.
I so enjoyed Luit's contributions to the Forum over many years.
Recently he'd helped me with information on registering a hybrid,
cheers
fermi

[ChrisB]

Sad news indeed. I loved seeing his posts from the Lisse Shows, and I had the great good fortune to meet him when he came to the DW in Dumfries.  I shall miss this very gentle, generous man enormously. The forum will not be the same without him.  My sincere condolences to Vroni, her family and friends.

[Darren]

Like Chris, Susan and I met Luit and Vroni at a Discussion Weekend and immediately liked them both. This is so sad. We will continue to treasure the bulbs he donated to the club on that occasion, and he was a great help in identifying a mystery Phlox cultivar we grow.

We send our condolences.

[Cfred72]

Let me express my condolences to his family and those who knew him on this forum.

[David Nicholson]

A sad, sad loss of the 'ultimate' gentleman.

Luit and I corresponded with each other through the Forum for many years before we finally met when he and Vroni did the 'Grand Tour' through Scotland, Wales and England after the 2010 Discussion Weekend and they came came to our home. The few hours they spent with us went like minutes and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. We always said we should do it again in The Netherlands but sadly never got our combined acts together.

We kept up our correspondence though and we shared a subscription to 'The Plantsman'. Every three months a large envelope winged it's way to The Netherlands containing 'The Plantsman' together with three month's copies of 'The Garden' and Luit thoroughly enjoyed them.  I shall miss doing that a great deal.

We shall of course write privately to Vroni.

God rest you Luit.

[johnw]

How very sad.  We will miss him and his generous postings to the Forum.  His Lisse postings were the week's highlight and I'm glad I told him so on many occasions.  Our sympathy to his family.


johnw

[Alan_b]

I never met Luit but I loved reading the weekly postings made under his forum name, Lvandelft (which are stored here http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=1315.0 ).

[Luc Gilgemyn]

How sad to read this !  I will miss my warmhearted Dutch friend.
His contributions to forums his visits to meetings, his endless plantknowledge but most of all his kindness. 
He drove over 200 km from his home in the Dutch Bulb belt to Gent (B) on a few occasions to attend our VRV lecture days.
My condolences to his family and friends who will all miss him.

[Gerdk]

I would like to join here - I'll never forget  Luit - an extraordinary friend!

Gerd

[Armin]

I have just returned from a business trip and have received the sad news.

I have lost a friend and brother in spirit, with the knowledge of an encyclopedia. Always inspiring and supportive.

My sincere condolences.
My thoughts are with Vroni and the family.   

I'll never forget you Luit.

[shelagh]

We also met Luite and Vronni at the Discussion Weekend and enjoyed several meals in their company.  An enduring memory was that the first night we found the Hotel wine extremely expensive, the next evening Luite arrived with a plastic bag groaning with the weight of quite a few bottles of wine from the local supermarket.  A friend like that is a friend indeed and one who will be sorely missed.  We promptly made him a member of the East Lancs. AGS.

[Maggi Young]

From Sarastro Kreß - in Austria -  Luite was my boss in 1981, when I worked in his nursery in the Netherlands. In this year I learned a lot of useful things! Nearly every year he and his wife Vroni came to visit us. And we visited them in NL. Over 30 years best friendship and outstanding knowledge from his site. Only three weeks before  he died we were together  and we had a nice dinner. We have lost a great plantsman!

[Maggi Young]

 From Eric Breed: Luit and Vroni visited our bulb collection many times, he lived nearby. He was of great help making documentary pictures of all tulips in early days of digital photography. Have helped sell his Oxalis collection to other commercial growers years ago. 
Today we said farewell, with many people he used to meet on monday morning at weekly KAVB showroom meeting. We will try to help Vroni with the remaining collection.

[Maggi Young]

From Antoine Hoog : He was a very kind man and a skilled grower. He showed me his Dactylorhiza, when he had a stock of several dozens of square meters of a rare one and many, many Rhodhypoxis.