Honorary Life Members

Several decades ago our club established the Honorary Life Membership award to recognize and honor members who had made substantial (out of the ordinary) contributions to the photo club and to nature photography, spanning over a number years.

Since its inception, we have honored the following people with this award:

Ernestine Freeman

Honor Awarded - A Long Time Ago
Died: September 29, 2003 (94)

One of the early club members, who was an excellent photographer in her own right, but probably contributed more by encouraging others and by promoting the Photographic Society of America.

Her hobby for many years was photography, and she was awarded the honor of Associateship in The Photographic Society of America, for service and photographic competence. She gave programs and workshops to share her knowledge with others, and her photos were shown in international exhibitions. For many years she supported the Dallas Museum of Art, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Opera, the Dallas Museum of Natural History, the Friends of the Dallas Public Library, and numerous other civic and charitable organizations. She was a member of the Dallas Camera Club, the Dallas Nature Club, the North Dallas Camera Club, and the Heard Nature Photographers.

Dr. Harold Laughlin

Honor Awarded - A Long Time Ago
Died: May 2, 2008

Founding director of the Heard Museum, who early-on recognized the value of nature photography. He was instrumental in the birthing and nurturing of the Heard Nature Photographers club and in starting the annual photography contest.

He was born on Feb. 11, l932. in Tulsa, Okla. He was an avid environmentalist and naturalist who received his bachelor’s in zoology from the University of Tulsa while working at the Tulsa Zoo as a keeper of birds and reptiles. He received his Masters and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in Zoology and Ecology.

He was an assistant professor of biology at Southeastern State College in Durant, Okla., and moved to McKinney, Texas, as the administrative director of the Heard Natural History Museum.

Harold Green

Honor Awarded Circa 2005
Died: August 14, 2014
Harold joined the club in the mid 1980's and served the club tirelessly until his death in 2014. Harold is honored for his outstanding contributions to the club, including Newsletter Editor and Publisher, Treasurer and Secretary, for over two decades.

Kay griffith

Honor Awarded Circa 2005
Kay joined the club in May, 1996 and has been an active member ever since. She has served the club in many capacities including officer positions and in helping with the photo contest.

Rob Hull

Honor Awarded 2006
Rob joined the club in the early 1990s and served as President for a number of years. He established the Member's Choice contest and still coordinates it to this day. He developed and manages our website and also designed the club’s logo.

Ron Marabito

Honor Awarded January, 2011
Ron served as our Field Trip Coordinator, presented numerous programs and field trip presentations, & who helps fellow club members to learn more about photography.

Jim Ross

Honor Awarded February, 2012
Jim joined the club in February, 2002 and has served as VP and then President for over 10 years. He is a tireless mentor and cheerleader for our club, plus coordinated many behind the scene activities.

Ed Pierce

Honor Awarded March 2015
Ed joined the club in January, 2002 and has served the club in a variety of capacities. He's best known as our Refreshments Coordinator for 12+ years, procured snacks and drinks, called members monthly to remind them of their commitment (awarded 3/2015).

Larry Petterborg

Honor Awarded October 2016
Larry joined the club in February 2004 and served as VP 2 years, Gulf States Camera Council Representative for 8+ years, presented at meetings, and served as our Newsletter Editor.

Terree Stone

Honor Awarded October, 2016
Terree joined the club in January, 2005 and served as Vice President 3 years, Field Trip Coordinator 5+ years, Just One Photo Champion 3 years, coordinated many behind the scene efforts.

Jackie Ranney

Honor Awarded 2017
Jackie joined the club in June, 2011. She has served the club in a variety of ways but she is best known as the driving force behind the annual photography contest. During her tenure as Contest Chairman, she helped guide the contest conversion from a print to a digital contest. She was also instrumental in expanding the reach of the contest to a broader audience of school age children.

Anita Oakley

Honor Awarded 2017
Anita joined the club in July, 2008 and has served the members in a variety of ways. She spent years helping coordinate club field trips and most recently has worked tirelessly on the annual photography contest. Anita helped the club get online with contest entries, opening the contest to a whole new audience.

Anita is currently our newsletter editor.

Peter Gilbert

Honor Awarded 2018
Died: February 21, 2020

Peter joined the club in early 2008 after retiring and has been active in club activities throughout. Peter served as the Photo Contest coordinator for four years until 2015 then was elected Secretary/Treasurer in 2016-2018 and became club President in 2019.