Glenn Goldsmith passed away peacefully at his home on Kauai, Hawaii on December 17, 2021. He was 93.

Born on June 6, 1928 in Upland, California, Glenn was raised in Ontario, California by his parents Earl and Ruth Goldsmith. Living on the grounds of Armstrong Nurseries, he developed an interest in plants, and plant breeding in particular, at a young age. That led him to get his degree in Plant Science from UC Davis in 1950, followed by graduate studies in Plant Genetics at UCLA.  While at Davis, Glenn met the love of his life, Jane Evans. They were married on July 7, 1951.

Glenn started his career by working for 4 years for Denholm Seed Company in Lompoc, California, followed by another 4 years at Pan American Seed Company in Paonia, Colorado. In June of 1962, Glenn, Jane and their 4 sons moved to Gilroy, California to start their own company, Goldsmith Seeds.

To support the success of his plant development efforts, Goldsmith Seeds established a production company in Guatemala in 1966, additional production in Kenya in 1981, and breeding and production companies in Holland in 1982. All of the companies of Goldsmith Seeds reflected Glenn's commitment to bettering the lives of their employees.

During his career, Glenn garnered recognition for his plant breeding from industry organizations All America Selections and FleuroSelect, and was awarded All America Selections Medallion of Honor, FleuroSelect Laureat, Gilroy Man of the Year, Gilroy Hall of Fame, Guatemalan Peace Medallion, the Award of Distinction from UC Davis and an honorary doctorate from La Universidad de Valle de Guatemala.

Philanthropy was also a key element of Glenn's life. Once he and Jane moved to Kauai they became ardent supporters of the National Tropical Botanic Garden, with Glenn serving for many years as a trustee. They were also supporters of Hospitalito de Gustavo Castaneda Palacios in Guatemala, Gilroy Foundation, Gilroy Rotary Endowment, Kauai United Way, Kauai Independent Food Bank and many other causes.

Glenn and Jane also developed a love for sailing, culminating in a trip sailing for 6 months a year for 5 years, traveling down the west coast of California, Central America, through the Panama Canal into the Caribbean, and finishing in Florida.

Glenn is survived by his wife of 70 years, Jane, his sisters Mardy Ratliff and Gerry Rickert, his sons and their wives, Bill and Rebecca, Joel and Paula, Richard and Laurie, and Jim and Kate, 15 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.

Donations in Glenn's memory can be made to the Gilroy Foundation (GilroyFoundation.org), National Tropical Botanic Garden ( NTBG.org ) or Kauai Hospice ( KauaiHospice.org ).

There will be a day of remembrance for Glenn, on Sunday, April 3rd, from 3pm to 6pm with Memorial Service at 4:00 pm,  at Syngenta Flowers (formally Goldsmith Seeds), 2280 Hecker Pass Highway, Gilroy, CA, To register please follow this link.