There will be a memorial service today at Riechmann Pavilion to celebrate the life of Dr. Jim Whitley. The service is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm. Complete obituary is posted at the Columbia Tribune and the Columbia Missourian.
Jim Whitley served on various parks and recreation committees most recently providing native plant expertise on the Flat Branch Park development and on the MKT Trail Vegetation Management Committee.
Park staff often utilized Jim for expertise on native plant selection and management, especially in terms of aquatic plants. Jim was a extremely valuable contributor regarding the aquatic plant selection and management at Stephens Lake Park. In addition to his noteworthy expertise, Jim often donated or provided at nominal cost hundreds of native shoreline and aquatic plants which were planted around the shore lines at Stephens Park, Auburn Hi
lls, Louisville Park, Twin Lakes and many other Columbia park ponds, raingardens and waterways.
lls, Louisville Park, Twin Lakes and many other Columbia park ponds, raingardens and waterways. In 2006 Jim graciously agreed to assist with the fledgling volunteer program the Columbia Aquatic Restoration Project or CARP. The CARP program was design to help build community support and assistance in maintaining healthy, sustainable lakes and ponds in Columbia Parks and Jim served as mentor and educator to both park staff and volunteers.
Jim's legacy to the parks will always be seen in the bold purple blossom of the pickerel weed, lovely nodding white flowers of lizards tail and the rigid dark green of the square stem spike rush.
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