On my desk there is a framed photo that has been there for 16 years.

It was 1996 when I first met Harry at the World Bromeliad Conference in Orlando, Florida--Orlandiana '96. My passion for bromeliads brought me to the conference and at the time I believe I was the first Japanese national to attend.

At the time (and still today) Harry was really a "Super Star" to me.

I believe that anyone who studies bromeliads would understand my feelings, and I clearly remember the moment when I first met him. I was so excited to get his business card, but did not understand that I was opening the door to a new world. Many years later I have realized just how much that first meeting meant in my life. I still have that card and treasure it today (Figure 1).

By then I had already known Dennis Cathcart of Tropiflora for some time, as we had become very good friends by facsimile (fax) letter exchanges (no email in those days). Harry was Dennis' true friend, and so each time when I would visit Dennis, we would spend some time with Harry too. Dennis' wife, Linda, cared for Harry very much and she and Dennis treated Harry as their true family. They treated me like family too.

Dennis and I made many field trips together, and after our return from each trip to a Latin American country, we would meet with Harry to discuss our collections. I was always so impressed by his incredibly wide, deep and really detailed knowledge. Truly he was a 'Living Encyclopedia'. They say that Harry had a photographic memory; I really have to agree with this.

In 1998, Japanese bromeliad pioneer, Hideo Shimizu and I, published the 'New Tillandsia Handbook'. In those days we still did not have email, so I visited Harry at the Marie Selby Botanical Garden to seek his advice. He was always very kind with sharp and clear comments.

When I look back over my bromeliad history, many beautiful memories with Harry come to mind. I am Japanese but my bromeliad career started in Florida,...