Jeanne Clay Plank

Gold Medal awarded 2017

Awarded Distinguished Service Award 2007

President AIS 2005-2007

From 2017 Bulletin article by Jill Bonino" Jeanne’s “Iris life” began in the early 1960s on the East Coast. At that time, she and her first husband, Hank Clay, were living in Maryland and raising four children. Her grandmother, residing in Hayward, CA, where Jeanne grew up, sent her some iris that Jeanne loved, and Jeanne decided she wanted more. With a friend who happened to be an AIS member, Jeanne toured some local iris gardens to try to find out the names of the irises she had received, as well as where to get more plants. Thus, the ”iris virus” was established in her and a 50-plus plus career in the iris world began. Jeanne’s first husband passed away unexpectedly in late 1976. Hank’s death was a terrible shock, but Jeanne persevered and finished a degree in horticulture from the University of Maryland, which she had been working on for several years. In late 1977, Jeanne packed up and moved to Sacramento, CA, along with her teenage son Peter. Being in Sacramento placed them equally near both sides of the elder California-located families. Her old college boyfriend, Robert R. Plank, learned from a mutual friend of her tragic loss and of her recent return to California. Shortly thereafter, he contacted her and soon came to visit her in Sacramento. Love happened and they were married. After marriage Jeanne and Bob were located in Southern California near Bob’s work with Lockheed Martin. Soon Jeanne’s iris involvement picked up speed after Bob’s father introduced the couple to Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, and Jeanne and Bob became members of the Descanso Gardens Guild. Jeanne felt that Descanso needed a major upgrade in its iris garden. One day, when Jeanne was in the Descanso gift shop, the president of the Descanso Guild happened to be standing behind her in the checkout line and overheard Jeanne’s response to a question from the cashier in which she mentioned her thoughts about the Descanso iris garden. The president of the Guild introduced herself and subsequently made arrangements for Jeanne to get in contact with George Lewis, the director of the Gardens at the time. Thus began a decade-plus project to get a better public iris garden at Descanso. (This is where I met Jeanne when I started volunteering in the Descanso iris garden in 1996 and joined the San Fernando Valley Iris Society (SFVIS) and the AIS.) Jeanne joined SFVIS and Southern California Iris Society (SCIS) in the 1980s with the goal of getting the two clubs interested in supporting the Descanso iris garden. She started going to Region 15 meetings with the same goal. During this time she also became an AIS Judge. She worked at various positions within SFVIS, eventually becoming club president in 2001. Jeanne also was becoming more involved with the American Iris Society on a national level. When Claire Barr became President of the AIS, she started looking for new people to bring on to the Board. Claire was also from the Baltimore area, and Jeanne and Claire “hit it off.” Jeanne joined the AIS Board as recording secretary under Claire Barr’s presidency and began to work her way up to AIS President in 2006–2008. She judged the Firenze Iris Competition in Florence, Italy, while AIS president and won the AIS Distinguished Service Medal following her three years as President. After moving to Region 14, Jeanne became the RVP for AIS Region 14. While being on the AIS Board, and being active in local and Regions 14 and 15 activities, Jeanne and Bob Plank became quite a team, visiting and photographing gardens around the country during conventions and treks. For many years SFVIS and Region 15 enjoyed Jeanne’s programs and Bob’s photos. Bob also gave great service to the AIS as a pro bono attorney during the 1990s and early 2000s. He and Jeanne were heavily involved (months and months of work) in 2005–2006 in handling the Sidney DuBose Estate and setting up the Sidney DuBose Trust, which now funds expenses for the AIS Ben Hager and Sidney DuBose Memorial Library. Life for Jeanne has not been all iris gardening, garden visiting, and meeting attendance. While living in Annapolis, Maryland, Jeanne worked for both the Summer Garden Theatre and the Colonial Players as a costumer, a sound designer, and an assistant director for multiple productions—and, on occasion, an on-stage performer. This did give her an edge for entering the SFVIS Iris Shows where she won many ribbons and plaques for her iris artistic arrangements. In 2003 Jeanne and Bob sold their home in Sun Valley, CA, and moved to Lake County, CA, to get closer to families living in Northern California. There, once again, Jeanne cultivated a large iris garden—Tall Bearded in the front, and Louisianas in the back. She also threw iris “nubbies” (rhizomes that are left after digging and replanting) over the fence into the vacant lot next door in hopes those “nubbies” would grow and bloom with only nature’s care—and they did! Jeanne and Bob currently reside in Novato, CA, near her sons Roger, Peter, and Jamie; Bob’s daughter, Wendy; and Jeanne’s daughter Lisa and Lisa’s daughters, all of whom live nearby in Northern California. There are now several grandchildren and a few great grandchildren that they enjoy and keep up with. Jeanne’s focus through her decades-long affair with iris has also been mentoring. Like Claire Barr did for her, she has pulled many people into the iris world, especially me. I have loved and enjoyed working with and getting to know Jeanne over the last 20-plus years. Congratulations, Jeanne on receiving the highest award AIS can give for your outstanding service to the American Iris Society and the iris community.

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-- BobPries - 2012-05-18