Pink Flamingo Inventor Dies at 79

Love them or hate them, pink flamingo lawn ornaments have been a symbol of the laid-back Florida lifestyle for decades.

Practically as synonymous with the state as sunshine and beaches, the iconic, kitschy yard decorations have graced suburban landscapes across the country for years, delighting some with their playful appearance while horrifying others with their startlingly bright colors.

The man behind it all passed away Monday. Don Featherstone, 79, was surprisingly not from Florida. Rather, he was a native or Worchester, Mass., and died in his home state “after a long battle with dementia,” his obituary on Legacy.com states.

Featherstone’s stroke of genius came in 1957 as the sculptor was experimenting with plastics to create lawn ornament designs, according to the New York Times. His first foray in the medium involved the creation of a three-dimensional duck. Featherstone then moved on to the design that would become a must-have for yards across the country.

The first birds in production sold for under $3 a pair through the Sears catalog, the Times noted. Designs that harken back to the original can still be bought online with ease. Although the originals measured 3 feet in length, popular models today stand about 26 inches in height and sell for about $12 to just under $20 a pair on Amazon.

Featherstone’s creation has also been used as part of the “lawn greeting” or “flocking” prank. This prank involves the overnight placement of a large flock of plastic flamingos to surprise an unwitting homeowner in the morning. Flockings have become so popular there’s even a Lawn Greetings Association built up around companies who supply flocks for rental.

Featherstone is survived by his wife, Nancy, two children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Patch file photo of a “flocking.”