Passion For Roses Flowers For Family

Bob Willrich’s wife, Nancy, calls them his friends.

The father of two spends hours in their yard caring for the colorful roses he shows in competition. He even talks to them.

“He knows them all by name,” Nancy Willrich said.

That’s why it hurt him so much when dozens of rose bushes died from a sudden, rapid drop in temperature during an unseasonably mild November about five years ago.

“We lost about 60 roses,” Nancy Willrich said. “It was like a memorial service. He lost 60 friends.”

The roses have since been replenished, and Willrich now has new friends.

Their Pasadena Park yard is filled with roses spanning eight classifications and more than 100 varieties. They range from miniatures to the traditional size found in a floral shop to even larger.

He enjoys the full blooming varieties. The more colorful the better.

“This variety I would recommend to anyone,” Willrich said, caressing a pink and white miniature. “It’s called Pirrine.”

On a recent evening, Willrich, a sales representative by day, slowly made his way down a row of rose bushes in planters bordering his front yard.

He rattled off the name of each variety before launching into an explanation of their characteristics. One he enjoys because its buds bloom high and tight, with a pointed center - rosarian speak meaning its petals are grouped together and the bud is symmetrical.

Another variety he admires because it has no more than 12 petals when in full bloom. The petals open wide much like a daisy.

But those bushes in the front-yard planters are only the beginning of his collection.

“You haven’t gotten around the back yet,” Willrich said.

Willrich’s fondness for roses began 15 years ago. Bob, a West Valley High School graduate, and Nancy, a Central Valley High School alumnus, were newly married and looking for a cheap, fun activity.

The two lifetime Valley residents met while attending Eastern Washington University. They dated for five years before marrying in 1979.

Two years later, the couple attended a rose show at the Davenport Hotel. They paid the $6 fee to join the Rose Society and became hooked.

“It was a cheap date for Nancy and I,” Willrich said. “I’m probably more of the fanatic, but she definitely has a say in the yard.”

Willrich’s passion for roses was fanned by his success at his first show. He collected most of the major awards, including winning his class, first prize overall and prince of the show.

That love has since been extended to his children - 6-year-old Aaron and 3-year-old Emily.

“I’ve tried to encourage both of them to grow because it puts them more in tune to the world around them,” Willrich said.

Aaron has quickly become a green thumb. He beat his father in a competition earlier this summer and has begun to pile up the accolades.

“I’ve got three trophies,” Aaron said, counting off the awards on his fingers.

However, Aaron is still learning the finer points of caring for his roses.

“You just lost a cane,” Willrich said, holding a short piece of stem that his son broke off while running through the rose garden.

Besides Willrich’s enjoyment of the rose, the flowers have given the family something they can do together. And something to talk to when things aren’t going well.

“If it’s been a bad day, I can yell at the flowers instead of the family,” Willrich said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: Saturday’s People is a regular Valley Voice feature profiling remarkable individuals in the Valley. If you know someone who would be a good profile subject, please call editor Mike Schmeltzer at 927-2170.