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Carolinas Lose Good Friend and Naturalist




On Wednesday, December 18, 2002, the Carolinas lost a good friend and a 
wonderful amateur naturalist, Florence High.

Florence Bunyan Kerr High, who died at the age of 90, was well-known to 
lovers of nature throughout South Carolina and North Carolina. Her interests 
were so broad and activities so many that she touched the lives of an 
enormous number of Carolinians.

Florence was active in the South Carolina Amateur Naturalists and was a 
member of the committee of butterfliers that founded the Carolina Butterfly 
Society back in 1995, organizations in which she remained active until nearly 
the end. Many people also knew her as an active participant in Carolina Bird 
Club field trips, but her interests in natural history didn’t stop with 
butterflies and birds. She was fascinated with all aspects of the natural 
world; Florence could be found on outings as diverse as wildflower walks to 
shell collecting and to fossil hunting.

Florence was a small woman with a big sense of humor. She would introduce 
herself sometimes by saying, “My name is High, but I’m short.” Her huge 
personality was just barely contained in a body that needed a cushion to help 
her see over the steering wheel of her car. Occasionally she would arrive at 
the site of a nature field trip late the night before and stretch out on the 
seat of her car to sleep the rest of the night. “There’s plenty of room for 
me on the seat,” she would say to amazed friends the next morning.

At her core, Florence was an educator. Before coming to Myrtle Beach in her 
retirement, she was a public school teacher in Westfield, New Jersey. Once 
in South Carolina she “adopted” several teachers in Horry County, and she 
continued to educate children through her contributions of classroom 
materials on natural history subjects. Friends weren’t left out, either; 
frequently they received surprise packages in the mail from Florence 
containing various nature-related clippings, brochures, and odds and ends 
that she thought would interest them.

A memorial service in honor of our friend Florence High is scheduled for 
Saturday, December 28, 2002, 11:00 a.m., at St. Philip's Lutheran Church, 
6200 North Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572. Memorial donations to St. 
Philip's Lutheran Church are appreciated. McMillan-Small Funeral Home and 
Crematory, Myrtle Beach, SC, is handling the arrangements and inurnment. Go 
to http://www.msfh.net for additional information.

Florence’s spirit will live on in the hearts of her many students and friends.

Dennis Burnette
Greensboro, NC
burnetted@aol.com