Gary's Parents
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| Lyn Stratmann was born in Jamaica in 1929. She trained as a nurse, and retired from nursing in 1994, having worked in both Jamaica and England. She is an internationally renowned flower arranger, founder President of the Saint Andrew Flower Arrangement Club of Jamaica, founder member of Jamaica Panel of Floral Art Judges, three times International Affiliate of the Year of the State Garden Clubs of America. Lyn is a teacher of both Western Floral Art and the "Ichiyo School of Ikebana". She has taught and demonstrated flower arranging in Great Britain, the United States and the West Indies. Lyn was commissioned to do the flower arrangements for Government House in Jamaica on the occasion of the Queen's visit in 1975, and she and her husband Carl were presented to the Queen and Prince Phillip. Photographs of her work have been widely published, and she has been a regular contributor to Flora International Magazine for more than 30 years. She is the author of "Modern Flower Arranging" (1979). In 2008 Lyn made a sentimental journey back to Jamaica for the 40th Anniversary celebrations of her club. |
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Dr. Carl James Stratmann was born in Australia in 1923. He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and Melbourne University. He took his BSc. in Physiology and Biochemistry in 1944, and his PhD at Edinburgh University in 1949. He lived in Jamaica from 1964 to 1975, where he filmed footage for "The Friendliest Line in the World (The Railway of Jamaica)", and was technical director of the 1968 film, "The Mercenaries". He has taught adult education classes in Photography, and many correspondence courses. He was an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society and a member of the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society. Published works include: Photography, An Introduction (1995) He also published many works related to railways under the name H. G. Forsythe. These include: Steam Shed Portraits (1981) Carl Stratmann passed away in September 1995 aged 72. |