Midori Tanimune
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In the ikebana world, Midori was a pioneer and leader in the Mid-Atlantic region. Anyone practicing ikebana (Japanese floral art) in Delaware and the surrounding area benefited from her teaching and artistic inspiration. Midori was a high-level teacher with the Sogetsu School of Ikebana and started teaching ikebana to neighbors in her small apartment kitchen before expanding to the adult education programs at local high schools in 1971. She taught tirelessly throughout the community through adult education, Longwood Gardens, Winterthur, Delaware Art Museum, and private groups. Until this past spring, she was teaching New Castle County adult classes and offering private lessons.
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She gave many demonstrations to garden clubs, community groups, corporations, schools, and museums. She would go anywhere that she was invited to speak or demonstrate even if it meant supplementing from her own pocket just so she could share and promote ikebana.
In addition to ikebana, she had been trained in western floral design and worked at floral shops during her first few years in Delaware, taking her infant daughter with her to work. Until recently, Midori worked side-by-side with various florists and independent floral designers in the region.
At Winterthur, she was part of the team that created the classic floral arrangements found throughout the museum. She was most proud of the dried flower Christmas tree that was so admired by visitors. The dried flowers used for the tree would be picked from the museum grounds throughout the year and then expertly dried for the annual Yuletide event.
In addition to ikebana, she had been trained in western floral design and worked at floral shops during her first few years in Delaware, taking her infant daughter with her to work. Until recently, Midori worked side-by-side with various florists and independent floral designers in the region.
At Winterthur, she was part of the team that created the classic floral arrangements found throughout the museum. She was most proud of the dried flower Christmas tree that was so admired by visitors. The dried flowers used for the tree would be picked from the museum grounds throughout the year and then expertly dried for the annual Yuletide event.
Midori was born in Indonesia and moved to Japan as a child. She started learning ikebana when she was 11 years old, shortly after her father passed away. She felt a strong closeness to her father that tethered her throughout her life. Arriving in Wilmington, DE, in 1968 with her husband, Midori braved a confounding foreign world having minimal English language skills at the time.
Even though English was not her native tongue, she wrote poetry in English. A few of her poems were always shared with the public as part of her local ikebana exhibitions with her students. She loved to read and avidly sought novels in English.
She loved to travel and would happily go on her own to faraway places around the world. Midori volunteered as an usher so that she could enjoy classical music concerts, the opera, and the theater. She would go to art museums at every opportunity along the East Coast.
Her loving presence will be sorely missed by all who knew her, most especially by her husband, Koichi, her daughter, Lisa, son-in-law, Matthew, and grandson, Aidan.
She was an honored Sensei who will always remain in our hearts with great love and respect.
Donations can be made in her memory to the Midori Tanimune Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Even though English was not her native tongue, she wrote poetry in English. A few of her poems were always shared with the public as part of her local ikebana exhibitions with her students. She loved to read and avidly sought novels in English.
She loved to travel and would happily go on her own to faraway places around the world. Midori volunteered as an usher so that she could enjoy classical music concerts, the opera, and the theater. She would go to art museums at every opportunity along the East Coast.
Her loving presence will be sorely missed by all who knew her, most especially by her husband, Koichi, her daughter, Lisa, son-in-law, Matthew, and grandson, Aidan.
She was an honored Sensei who will always remain in our hearts with great love and respect.
Donations can be made in her memory to the Midori Tanimune Memorial Scholarship Fund.
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