I first met Bob at a Thanksgiving gathering of the Myrtle Beach, S.C., Hybridizers' Meeting. What was the year? I don't know, but it
doesn't matter. It was a long time ago when neither of us had even registered a daylily. We were showing slides of our seedlings. He
showed a black red with lots of ruffling. I showed a dark red with a white edge. We both liked the other's and worked a trade - the
beginning of a long friendship.

Bob did not like to travel. He was a real home person. I talked him into coming to Chattanooga to participate in the Mid-Winter
Symposium (MWS). What was the year? I don't know, but it doesn't matter. It was a long time ago.

Over the years, Bob gave several scientific presentations at the MWS along with collecting slides for the "New Introductions" and
"What is Coming in the Future" portions of the program. Early on, during the "Futures" portion, prior to showing his seedlings, Bob
showed a slide entitled "Bob Carr's Awesome Daylily Seedlings," paused, tilted his head, and gave the audience that Bob Carr look as
if to say, “You would expect less from me?” The roof almost fell in with all the laughter! After that Bob would use that slide when
showing his seedlings at the MWS, the Thanksgiving Myrtle Beach Hybridizer’s Meeting, and talks to local clubs with the same results.

I do remember the year on this one: In late summer of 1997 Bob called and said, "Lee, I did not get as many seeds as usual this year
and have some extra space. Would you want to send me about 1,000 seeds and I will grow them to bloom next spring? I will make any
selections and return them to you."

How could I refuse an offer like that? I sent the seeds which included 16 or 17 seeds from a H. 'Velvet Beads' X H. 'Ida's Magic' cross.
He called one day in the spring and said, "Lee, you will not believe the seedling of yours that just bloomed here." The seedling was
selected, grown out, and registered as, H. 'Awesome Bob'. I know for a fact that Bob made close to 500 seeds of the same cross and
got nothing. But, Bob had plenty of successes of his own.

He was an intense hybridizer! When it was hybridizing season, Bob did not want to take time to visit with people. Many people took that
as an insult. But, he knew he only had so many days to get his 30,000 seeds made, and he was determined to accomplish his goal.

Bob’s preparation for hybridizing was equaled by none. He delighted in spending the winter pouring over the genetics of his plants and
using that information to determine his hybridizing goals for the next season. His “stud” book was always by his side and his plans did
not vary from which parent to use on which parent during the hybridizing season. He followed his plans as he made his crosses. Unlike
many of us, he would not vary from those plans.

Even as good of friends as we were, I always called first to ask if I could visit. He never denied my request. We sat many long hours on
his back porch telling jokes, laughing, and just enjoying each others company. Sometimes his wife, Sherry, would join us and put us in
our places. We had a good time!

We were fooling around one day, and I said I would like to have my picture taken with him. My wife, Jean was with me that day, and she
manned the camera. Bob said, “Turn your back to the camera.” Then, he put his arm around my shoulder, and Jean took the picture.
Of course, he was facing the camera. I asked him why he would not let me face the camera and he said, "No reason. I just thought it
would be a good laugh." I still use that picture in my talks around the U. S. to other daylily people. That is a sample of Bob's humor!

As a hybridizer, Bob was a perfectionist. Early on he realized the need to be able to use pollen from cultivars that had either not yet
bloomed or were not blooming on the day he wanted to use it. He also found that he wanted to use pollen from some late blooming
plants on early plants and vice versa. He put his researcher's cap on and wondered if pollen could be frozen, like human sperm, to be
used at a later date.

He went to his alma mater, The University of Miami School of Medicine and approached some of his colleagues with the question of
freezing pollen. Together they decided that there was no reason why this could not be done. If Bob was not the very first to use frozen
pollen, he was the first to use it extensively.

He collected pollen throughout the bloom season, placing each cultivar's anthers in a milk jug cap, then into a plastic zip lock bag and
stored it in the freezer. I saw Bob's freezer one time, and it had more pollen in it than food. He was very successful with this method
and was able to use frozen pollen from a single cultivar for several years.

1992 saw Bob's first eight introductions, among them were: H. "African Diplomat', H. 'Rue Madelaine', and H. 'Tennis Bracelet'. This
was the beginning of 134 introductions over 14 years. Bob's last introductions were in 2006 and included the incredible H. 'Wonder Of
It All', which was his favorite. Many of his cultivars are still being used by hybridizers today. He was dedicated to hybridizing for form,
scape height and bud count. Another of Bob's favorite daylilies was the 1993 introduction, H. 'Sherry Lane Carr', named for his wife.

His daylily business was named simply, “Bob Carr’s Daylilies.” There are no daylilies left at the Ocala, FL farm. His cultivars are
available through the secondary market from individuals who purchased his introductions.

Bob was never very interested in AHS awards but did submit names for consideration when approached to do so. So far he has
garnered 24 Honorable Mention awards and the Award Of Merit for three of his cultivars, H. ‘America’s Most Wanted’, H. ‘Pearl
Harbor’, and H. ‘Sherry Lane Carr’.

As a physician, Bob made many contributions to medicine. He was a dedicated pediatrician. He developed one of the first emergency
room physician groups in the state Of Florida. He was a friend and physician to many local, county, and state law enforcement people.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office stood watch over his casket.

Bob was a loving husband, a talented hybridizer, a caring physician and a great friend. All of that aside, what do you say when you have
lost a friend? Simply say, "Rest well, my friend."
ROBERT W. CARR, M.D.
September 20, 1935 - October 29, 2007



A talented hybridizer . . . and a good friend
H. 'Wonder Of It All'
(Bob Carr, 2006)
H.  'Robert W. Carr'
(Pickles, 2010)
by Lee Pickles
First printed in the Summer 2008 issue of "The Daylily Journal"
Memories of Bob Carr
Click here for a .pdf
copy of Bob's
color chart.
Permission granted by Sherry Carr
Graphs from Mary Anne Leisen
To view the last website for
Bob Carr Daylilies, enter the
address below in your web
browser.
http://www.distinctly.on.ca/carr/
1736 Eagle Drive
Hixson, TN 37343
Phone: 423.842.4630
Email: lpickles4@comcast.net