A memorial tribute honoring Sue Ann Conyers has been established through the American Floral Endowment (AFE) by Red and Katie Kennicott of Kennicott Brothers in Chicago, IL. Sue A. Conyers, 80, passed away on July 14, 2023 after a battle with brain cancer. Sue was a pioneer in the flower industry.
Born in Detroit, Michigan on December 4, 1942, Sue graduated from Michigan State University in 1964 with a degree in Social Work before moving her family to Miami in 1970.
In 1971 a new flower importing company was opening an office in Miami, they were looking for an Office Manager, and Sue got the job working for Sunburst. In 1975, she joined Southern Rainbow as a Sales Manager.
After gaining a few years of experience in the industry, Sue opened her own importing company in Miami, World Flowers, Inc., in 1979. Her first office was in the original Armellini building next to the airport. They moved into their new World Flowers building in 1986.
World Flowers became a family business and inspired generations of industry work. Sue’s husband, Doug, worked for her as the warehouse manager. Sue’s son, Robert, also worked for the company for many years. Their daughter, Christine, worked for some years before joining the Association of Floral Importers of Florida (AFIF) as the Executive Vice President.
Sue quickly became a leader in the Miami flower importing community. She viewed the health of the whole industry with as much gravity and importance as the growth and health of her own company. This attitude and her belief that no single business can survive if the industry it services is not strong led her to spearhead the creation of the Miami Flower Importers Credit Association (MFICA) in 1981, which continues to service the flower importers.
Sue was a founding member of the Association of Floral Importers of Florida (AFIF), where she served as the Vice President for more than 15 years and continued on the board for a total of 22 years until 2005. She served as the Transportation Chairman for the association working to convince flower customers that shipping by refrigerated trucks was better than air freight out of Miami.
Under Sue’s leadership, World Flowers was one of the first companies to have a computer terminal at every salesperson’s desk as several importers contracted together to create a computer system for the importers.
Sue’s industry impact did not stop there… She participated in served as a speaker and on panels for industry conferences, conventions, and trade shows; she also helped guide AFIF’s trade shows from 1999 to 2002.
Outside of the floral industry focus, Sue was active in the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and served on the board of directors.
She is survived by her daughter Christine, son Robert (Dana), four grandchildren, and one great-grandson.
The Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, July 29 at Van Orsdel Funeral Home, 11220 N. Kendall Dr., Miami, FL, 33176. There will be a gathering after the ceremony at 3610 SW 128 Ave., Miami, FL, 33175.
In remembrance of Sue, please consider a donation to the Sue Conyers Memorial Tribute. Donations can be made online here or by sending a check with this form to:
American Floral Endowment
c/o Sue Conyers Memorial Tribute
610 Madison Street, Ste. 101, PMB 803
Alexandria, VA 22314
The family is always notified of donations, and contributions can be made in any amount.
About AFE
The American Floral Endowment is the industry’s trusted source and catalyst for floriculture advancement through funding of innovative research, scholarships, internships, and educational grants that best serve the dynamic needs and demographics of all industry sectors. Help AFE continue to support floriculture programs now and in the future. To learn more about AFE or make a tax-deductible contribution, visit www.endowment.org.
