From time to time, we recognize a member who has gone out of his or her way to support FOPE. As of Summer, 2017, we have awarded nine people with lifetime memberships:
2014
Our first recipients to be honoured with a lifetime membership were Bela and Davida Mehta. They have given us their support from the earliest days.
2015
In 2015, Kim Atwood and Steven Huston were honoured for their leadership for one of our main fundraising events, the Feast of Land and Sea.
2016
In 2016, we had two sets of recipients.
Ralph and Miriam Thompson have contributed wisdom and quilts to FOPE over the years and were honoured with a Lifetime Membership. Miriam's quilts have been the keystone of our fundraising efforts for many years. Ralph has been with FOPE since the beginning offering guidance and humour. Thank you both!
Our other 2016 honorees, Diane Burnham and Rocky Irons received their lifetime membership at the April open house. They have supported FOPE through donations, work and good cheer over the last years and that support has been appreciated. Thank you, Rocky and Diane.
2017
Maureen Woodlock has been with FOPE since the beginning, doing the books, keeping us on the straight and narrow, pitching in with everything. A volunteer who goes above and beyond. She richly deserves to be 2017's lifetime member.
2018
Stephen and Dennice Leahey have been founding members and supporters of FOPE since the beginning. They have always had ideas to make the organization better. Stephen served on the Board of Directors for many years and was the instigator behind many FOPE initiatives - from buying the Estuary House to having fundraising feasts to organizing the writing of a history of the estuary and to inviting Thomas Forestall to paint our lovely river. He and Dennice have always been very generous with their support.
2019
Louise and Werner Van Thielen are the reason that Estuary House is so functional and looks so good. They oversaw and did the renovations: they built a new kitchen, did a the total overhaul of the bathrooms, and painted all the rooms - and a million other things. They did this in numerous trips from their home in Northport. FOPE will always appreciate the time, leadership and expertise they provided to the house committee.
