Posted by Brian Rapoza, TAS Field Trip Coordinator on March 27, 2021 at 20:54:09
I have very sad news to share with the Tropical Audubon family. Paul Bithorn, my mentor and dear friend, passed away last night after a brief illness. Paul, who served as the Mayor of the Village of Virginia Gardens for nine years, has been associated with Tropical Audubon Society for half a century. He served on the TAS Board of Directors and has been a TAS field trip leader for longer than anyone can remember. He's been a birder since he was a Cub Scout, which as Paul was fond to say, was "many, many mango seasons ago." When I became TAS field trip coordinator in 2001, Paul became my most reliable and indispensable leader, joining me as co-leader for virtually all of our multi-day birding tours to North Florida, the Keys & Dry Tortugas and Ft. DeSoto, as well as our Miami Exotics tours (he knew the parrots better than anyone), our annual tours of the Everglades Agricultural Area and out of state tours to southern California and to the Great Parks (Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Glacier). I was honored when Paul agreed to write the forward to my bird-finding guide when it was published in 2007. Paul's favorite saying (among his many sayings) was "Life is Good." Paul lived a good life, filled with contagious joy, and life was always good when you were with him. Life simply won't be as good without him and I'm already missing him dearly. Information about any memorial service, etc. will be posted here when it becomes available. In the meantime, if you knew Paul and want to share favorite memories here, feel free to do so.