IN THE NEWS
 AT MEMPHIS HERITAGE


Saying Goodbye to Old Friends
by Marie Zwolinski

This summer, Memphis Heritage gave a fond but reluctant farewell to two of our dedicated volunteers—Gene Burr and Fred Asbury. 

Gene Burr, a member of the MHI Board of Directors and the Education and Publications Committees, was the first to leave at the end of June.  Gene was in Memphis for about eight years, working as the Project Manager for the Depot Redevelopment Agency and participating in countless community projects with Memphis Heritage, the local AIA chapter and others.  He announced his resignation from the MHI Board around the first of the year.  He was returning home to Knoxville.  He had mixed feelings about leaving Memphis, but he felt strongly that it was his time.   

Fred Asbury, our intrepid Keystone photographer, pulled up stakes at the end of July to pursue better professional and artistic opportunities in Chicago.  If you need to find him, he suggested that you check the historic streets of downtown Naperville, Illinois on the weekends, where he plans to paint pictures to sell to the passing pedestrians.  (No cheesy caricatures, though).  During the week, to keep the bills paid, he will be photographing property for an insurance company.  

At the last Publications Committee meeting that Gene attended, we expressed our appreciation to him and reminisced a bit about the times that we shared.  One member mentioned that Gene Burr was the reason that she was sitting at the table that day.  She told us that when she attended her first Memphis Heritage function, there was one person in the room that made an effort to bring her in to the fold and make her feel welcome.  It was Gene.  [Note to MHI volunteers—look for new people at our events!]  I smiled because Gene reached out to me in much the same way.

Gene and I are both urban planners, and as such, we attended many of the same meetings and conferences.  He and I first served together on the Board of Directors of the West Tennessee Section of the American Planning Association.  I remember that he was always pushing me to do more, to speak up, to get involved.  At times, his persistence annoyed me, but he eventually prevailed.  I ended up on the MHI Education Committee, then the Board of Directors, and last year, the Publications Committee.  Over the years, Gene has taught me more about volunteerism, or I should say, civic engagement, than anyone I have ever known.  The many awards and certificates of recognition and thanks on the wall of his office told me that perhaps there were others who felt the same way.  I personally credit Gene, above all of my friends and acquaintances, for making me believe that I had thoughts, ideas and skills that were worthy and valuable.  He made me feel that I could contribute and actually make a difference to someone other than myself. (If it isn’t true, please don’t tell me now). For that, I will always be grateful.

Fred and I met just over a year ago, at the 2003 South Main Arts Festival.  We were both working the “yard sale” at the old MHI office.  Business was slow, so the volunteers had plenty of time to talk and view the photos that Fred had on display.  Somewhere between his endearing smile, my appreciation for his artwork and the discovery that we both used to live in Arizona, the beginning of a wonderful friendship was formed.

Through his photographs, Fred taught me to look beyond the ordinary, past the surface.  Some of you might have seen his exhibit called “Messages” that was on display at the MHI office in June.  It was a project that was close to his heart.  Where other people saw mere vandalism, he saw a form of communication from an otherwise silent few that are among us every day. 

The other thing that I learned from Fred is that it is possible to furnish an entire apartment without ever going to a retail store.  Fred was the photographer for the Chandler Reports, which took him all over the Memphis area to record recently sold properties.  In his travels, Fred and his Honda Civic saved numerous pieces of furniture, lamps and artwork from the landfill.  Talk about preservation!  He delighted in his many finds—Christmas lights, deck chairs, tools, umbrellas, and golf clubs.  He enjoyed being the savior of everyday things that still had good use in them.  For me, it often put a lump in my stomach.  Most of the items that he picked up were in near-perfect condition.  Nothing broken, scratched, dented or soiled.  Just discarded.  Watching his collection grow really made me think about the way that we live, the things that we take for granted, and the things that we sometimes throw away too soon.

As it turns out, I will see Gene again in November.  He is still up to his old tricks.  Somehow, he managed to get my consent to nominate me for the Scenic Tennessee Board of Directors.  He informed me a few days later that the nomination was unanimously approved.    

So, we say goodbye and good luck to Gene Burr and Fred Asbury.  Their hard work, sense of humor and passion for historic preservation will be greatly missed here in Memphis.