FM Mooberry of Kennett Square

FM Mooberry
FM Mooberry

FM Mooberry died peacefully on Friday, Dec. 11 at Kendal at Longwood where she was a resident. FM was born in 1930 in Albert Lea, Minn., as that was the closest hospital to her hometown of Northwood, Iowa. She grew up active in the Girl Scouts and committed to a professional scouting career. Graduating from the University of Iowa she became the executive at the Shinning Trail Council in Burlington, Iowa. Her scouting career was interrupted when she married David Mooberry in 1953 and after a short stay at Purdue, moved to Delaware. She joined the Wilmington Area Council with responsibility for Cecil County, Md. A growing family and husband’s transfers cut short the scouting career and she changed to her back-up interest, horticulture. FM was a guide at Longwood Gardens in the late 1960s and early 70s but, returning from a move to Princeton, she became a volunteer at the new Brandywine River Museum. When Frolic Weymouth told her: “Can’t you do something about this tiny garden and the ugly parking lot,” a new career was solidified. She decided that the garden at an institution committed to protecting the Brandywine Valley should be committed to protecting the native plants of the region. As coordinator of horticulture at the museum she worked with 40 other volunteers and lots of truckloads of mushroom soil, to create an outstanding native plant garden. “They turned cinders into gold.”

FM’s career as gardener, educator, designer, author, speaker, collector of seeds for commercial growers and advocate for native plants flourished. In1990 she started the Native Plants in the Landscape Conference at Millersville University that is still active today. Along the way she discovered an unusual white seedling of Phlox paniculata that she named for her husband. Phlox ‘David’ was named Perennial Plant of the year in 2002. FM was also an active member of the London Grove Friends Meeting.

FM is survived by a very close and loving family including her husband of 62 years, her daughter Susan Mooberry and husband Greg Paterson of San Antonio, Texas, her son Douglas Mooberry and wife Pat Pusey Mooberry of Unionville, and four outstanding grandchildren: Alex of San Antonio, Elizabeth of Alexandria, Va., Jessie of Istanbu, Turkey and Brinton, a senior at Lehigh University.

A celebration of her life will be in the New Year. Check back to this obituary after the new year for more details. Contributions in her memory may be made to London Grove Friends Meeting 500 Street Rd. Kennett Square, PA 19348. Arrangements are being handled by the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home (610-444-4116) of Kennett Square. To view her online obituary, please visit www.griecocares.com

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