For December 2021, we are featuring three separate goodbye’s for our wonderful layout and design person, Kathy Summers as well as, one goodbye from Kathy herself. Kathy has been with us a long time and is retiring at the end of 2021. She will be missed by many as evidenced in this four part series of goodbye.
Part 2 is from many friends and loved ones of Kathy. Many of these people have known her a longtime. There are people from companies we work with and authors and even the new layout and design person that is learning as many tidbits of Kathy’s knowledge as she can before Kathy heads off on her new journey.
From Friends and Loved Ones –
Dear Kathy,
Sorry to see you go. We will miss you. The fact that you stayed on to help Jerry assume the challenge of becoming editor with the departure of Kim shows a continuing contribution to Bee Culture that we all appreciate. Let’s hope that even in retirement you will frequent the halls of the A.I. Root Company to rally the staff, as they produce one of the oldest, most prestigious bee journals in the nation. Meanwhile enjoy your retirement, which I trust will mean more time for other pursuits, including your beloved chickens.
Malcolm T. Sanford
Kathy,
Thank you for all your contributions at Bee Culture. I am especially appreciative of your help with my articles. I wish you the best in whatever you do, you do excellent work!
David MacFawn
I have had the pleasure to work with Kathy Summers for several decades. Saying hello as we travel to conferences, bee meetings and honey shows worldwide. Working at A.I. Root as Graphic Design Assistant Editor, Vice president of Medina Beekeepers and Vice Chairman of EAS. As an EAS Master Beekeeper and a Lifetime member of EAS, I always appreciated the work that Ms. Summers did. The best part that I enjoyed about Kathy was her smile and her honest desire to help. Last her admiration and affection for her flock of Buff Orpington’s was and is outstanding. Keeping her chickens and fighting the snakes has been part of her journey!
EAS Master Beekeeper
Earl Hoffman
Dear Kathy,
You have been a constant friendly face during the decades that I have been a beekeeper. I remember you at various bee meetings working on something, but providing a cheerful smile and answer regardless of how busy you were. In the last few years, I have had the privilege to know you and Kim better and have realized just how hard you work and your dedication to make BC the best magazine, no matter how challenging it is sometimes, especially with limited staff and recent stresses.
More personally, I am touched by your love of nature, plants and bees and consider you a good friend. Bee Culture continues to be an interesting and fun magazine to read each month and you are a vital part of its creation. We will all miss you!
Barbara Bloetscher
State Apiarist/Entomologist
Ohio Department of Agriculture
Kathy Summers and Kim Flottum have been such long time fixtures at Bee Culture, it is hard to imagine the magazine without them. Behind every great man there is a woman, and in this case Kathy had more staying power than Kim did! I am finding it hard to find the words that express how grateful I am to Kathy for everything she has done to help make Bee Culture what it is today: the most popular beekeeping magazine published in the USA. I am also grateful to Kathy for helping to keep Kim in line for so many years. There is a saying that goes: “Do you want to talk to the man in charge, or the woman who knows what is going on?” I always had a sense that it was Kathy that always knew what was going on. Happy trails Kathy. We will miss you. Bees be with you,
Ross Conrad
Kathy,
It is no surprise to hear of your retirement as it was announced back when Kim retired, that you would stay on for a few more years. However it is surprising that it has come so soon.
You have done a marvelous job at A.I. Root and you will be missed. “They” tell me that the whole key is to stay busy and I don’t mean work on the computer. Get some more chickens and ducks and chase them around the garden.
Jim Thompson
I want to thank Kathy for all her hard work over the 30 years at BC. She’s been very kind to me whenever I needed something for the State Fair and she’s always been very helpful when needed. She must be a Queen to put up with Kim. He taught me how to eat fried bee larvae. I will miss her articles.
Nina Bagley
Kathy this is the end of an era. I so appreciate all you’ve done for Bee Culture, the Root Company and for me as well through the years. You deserve a rich and fulfilling retirement. My wish is that you learn to wind down, relax and most of all enjoy the coming years. Thank you. Thank you Kathy. All the best.
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Bluntly said, I cannot imagine Bee Culture without Kathy Summers making things happen behind the scenes. When was she not there? She has been making things happen for so long, that I can’t even remember when she began. But all things change, and it is appropriate that Kathy now should take some time to work on other things in her life. However, that does not mean that she will not be missed – greatly. Kathy has always been the “implementer.” She was the one who made things happen. She is the organizer. Professionally, I will miss her presence and competence immensely, but I truly wish her well. Hers was a job beautifully done.
James E. Tew, PhD
Columnist, Bee Culture
“Here, take these gloves,” Kathy Summers said, putting a pair of hand-knit mittens sent by her British friend into my hands. I was going for a bike ride on rail-to-trail segment and the weather had turned cooler than I had prepared for. In our friendship, Kathy’s kindness has always been steady, as this example exemplifies, but there were many more as I was working on my books, I was always needing photos, needing photocopies, and needing items that required time I’m sure she didn’t have. Yet, she never rolled her eyeballs, never sighed under her breath, and never expressed impatience with my requests. For all my idiosyncratic projects, I have always felt that she has been an invisible ally, and I hope she enjoys her well-deserved retirement.
Tammy Horn Potter,
KY State Apiarist KY Department of Agriculture
The Apiary Inspectors of America want to wish you all the best in your next edition and hope it is quite the buzz! We sincerely appreciate all your years of dedication and contributions to the beekeeping industry and we are also very grateful for your invaluable work with making our Apiary Program featured articles a stellar appearance in Bee Culture. Hope you are well my friend,
Kim Skyrm
Kathy Summers has been an excellent format and copy editor at Bee Culture for many years, while also writing whimsical and interesting articles about bees and the hobby farm life. What this misses, though, is her eternally sunny disposition. Whether at meetings or in emails this has made it an absolute joy to work with her on various projects. She really sets the tone for a great magazine team at BC. She has tolerated missteps and a whole lot of tardiness from me without complaint, and helps contributors get their message across. It will be great to see Kathy and Kim at meetings for many years and I am sure they will enjoy even more travels and gardening now that both are ‘actively retired’.
Jay Evans
Behind every great man stands a great woman, as the saying goes. Kathy Summers has been the backbone of Bee Culture for as long as I can remember, which is a very long time. I always copied her in my correspondences with editors Kim Flottum and Jerry Hayes, because I know who really runs the show. I will so miss her gentle reminiscences of backyard chickens and travels with her beloved Kim. I also understand that there comes a time. Godspeed and thank you, Kathy.
Ed Colby
Bottom Board columnist
Kathy:
Want to thank you for your many years of service to the A.I. Root Company, working on my monthly column and for designing and formatting my two books. I always knew that I could count on you in getting the job done. Wishing you the best in your retirement years; you have certainly earned it. With best regards.
Clarence Collison
Best wishes Kathy to you on this chapter in your life journey! You have always been such a strong part at Root in upholding and showcasing our heritage and expertise. Your attention to detail and your diligence in everything you do is impressive – even providing us with feedback on the proper orientation of the honeycomb on our Root logo, or working so hard to assure that your seminars and events happened so well! And you always did this in your quiet, gentle manner. Happy Retirement!
Frank Graziano
Kathy,
I have only known you for a short while but I have loved every minute. I appreciate your patience and kindness through all of my learning and many mistakes; as well as your willingness to let me start to put my own mark on the magazine. I can only hope to make the impact you have on everyone in this special community. Have fun in retirement, you definitely deserve it after all the work you’ve done!
Emma Wadel
