Trudy Bulkley Tribute

Text of Jack Wikle’s Tribute to Trudy Bulkley

First, I want to express my deep appreciation to whoever/whomever made the decision that I would be allowed a few minutes to speak today.

We understood very well that Trudy Bulkley had many other friends, but my deceased wife, Jeannine, and I considered ourselves uniquely privileged to be Trudy’s friends and to be among the recipients of the enthusiastic hugs she shared so freely.

The Trudy we knew was by nature a nurturing person.  Her friends, family, pets, houseplants, garden, and her bonsai all benefited from her quietly determined attention and her love of life.

Seemingly, always on the lookout for the beauty she found in the world around her, and unusually comfortable in expressing appreciation, Trudy would often exclaim, “Oh my.”  “This is so wonderful.”  “Isn’t that beautiful.”  On one of her visits to our home in Tecumseh,  I remember clearly Trudy getting out of the car, looking up and saying, “Those pine cones are so beautiful!” This caught my attention because, of the many visitors who had come and gone on that driveway, Trudy was the only one who noticed and felt compelled to comment on the beauty she was seeing above her.

Many of my bonsai were displayed on benches and pedestals clearly visible to visitors approaching our side door.  Some visitors would be completely taken by the whole scene.  Others were politely curious and a few seemed almost completely unaware of what they were passing.  Over the course of many visits, no matter what productive work with her trees was to be accomplished, Trudy almost always made a point of studying my bonsai, looking at and often talking about each one, being attentive to details seldom noticed by most visitors. 

The acquaintance of Jeannine and I with the Bulkley’s began about 30 years ago when Trudy and Jonathan were registrants in a series of introductory bonsai classes I was teaching as part of the Adult Education program at Matthaei Botanical Gardens.  They attended those classes together, but it was Trudy who soon joined our Ann Arbor Bonsai Society.  I don’t believe she ever accepted an office, but Trudy quickly became very active in our group, helping wherever she could in many ways, over many years.

One of my treasured memories, is of Trudy arriving early on opening day of our Ann Arbor Bonsai Society’s Annual Exhibit. This would be after she had helped late the night before in the arranging and rearranging of the trees brought in for exhibit.  But, Trudy would be back in the morning to help in last minute cleanup and making sure all the exhibit trees were watered as needed.  It was often my privilege to work with Trudy, pushing our tub of water around the exhibit room on a cart, checking every tree, adjusting their locations, and positioning their labels. This was what social psychologists call “flow experience” completely absorbing activity I felt very positive about being part of. 

And, it was my pleasure to work with Trudy, always pleasant and quietly efficient, here at Hidden Lake Gardens on Thursday bonsai work days for twelve years until Covid closed the Gardens to the public and volunteers.   

In writing I did about bonsai, I usually knew what I wanted to say and the wording I would use in saying it, but seldom felt completely confident that my audience, would find the same clarity in my wording that I did.  So, there was a time I routinely passed what I’d written on to Trudy for her suggestions and approval. When Trudy said it was okay, I felt confident, yes it was okay.

In pulling my thoughts together for this presentation I found myself realizing, more than ever before, that my life has been “more” because Trudy’s life was “more.”

And, clearly, the present reality and the future prospects for ongoing display of bonsai at Hidden Lake Gardens have become far “more” through the super-generous — humbling — support of Trudy, her family, and her friends.

Please know that all of you have my deepest appreciation.