Armitage Remembers Marc Cathey
October 10, 2008 
Finding a hero today isn’t easy. Allan Armitage, a professor in the Department of Horticulture at the University of Georgia, had one in Marc Cathey. Armitage shared his thoughts with us on on his hero, who died Wednesday:
It is hard to find a hero today. False ones abound in movies and computer games, but a person who has been there day in and day out making what you do better is simply few and far between. Heroes need not jump from tall buildings or save the world from bad guys. Real heroes are people who influence your life and make the world a better place. Such are my thoughts about Dr. Marc Cathy.
As a young naïve scientist and later as my career developed, Dr. Cathey was always one of my heroes. I knew nothing, and he was conducting break-through research in the scientific arena. I cited his papers many times when doing my own research on the influence of light and photoperiod. His scientific achievements are the stuff of legend. His work on the USDA plant hardiness map is an additional legacy to his commitment to the business of horticulture.
However, I also came to know the other side of Dr Cathey. His passion for all things horticulture emanated from every pore. If one talked to the man for more than two minutes, at least a dozen ideas, including ways to implement them, would flow like water across a sluice. He constantly reached out to the gardening community through personal talks, radio shows and dozens of publications.
His writings are well documented. They are important, to be sure. However, what I know, far more than dried pieces of paper can communicate, is that this man dedicated his entire life to promoting horticulture in this country. He did it with knowledge, wit and wisdom.
I was honored and humbled to stand beside this man. In short, he was a giant, and will always be my hero.
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