Blandy Experimental Farm Mourns Death of Popular Landscaper

Blandy Experimental Farm and the Arts & Sciences community mourn the death of landscape technician Guillame “Orphée” Ross, who passed away at his home in White Post, Va. on May 31, nearly a year after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Ross was 46.

According to the obituary written by his wife, Valerie, Ross never met a stranger. His interests ranged from gardening, canning tomatoes and growing watermelons in a plot he tended within the Blandy community garden to chopping wood, making soap, exchanging puns, creating noise tracks and listening to records.

“Ross loved his cats, conspiracies (from the moon to ancient Egypt), his Toyotas, Texas (Quebexas), and lying in the grass on Friday nights to take in the stars,” she wrote.

A native of Ormstown, Quebec, Canada, Ross is survived by his wife, Valerie; his sister, Cloé; and his father, Claude Ross.

Memorial donations in Orphée’s honor may be made to the Foundation of the State Arboretum, 400 Blandy Farm Ln., Boyce, VA  22620 (checks made payable to FOSA) or online to Blandy State Arboretum or WPFW 89.3FM.