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Memorial
Gifts
Living
Memorials in Forest Hill Park
To find
out more about the memorial gift program at Forest Hill Park, please
contact friendsofforesthill@rrpfoundation.org.
Memorial Trees Planted in the Park
Early in the spring of 2007, Friends of Forest Hill Park received a
request to plant a tree in the park as a way of remembering a loved
one. The gesture was one that the Friends had often suggested as a way
to commemorate a special person, event, or even a beloved pet--by
planting a tree or buying a bench, along with a donation to Friends of
Forest Hill Park. But until now we had not received any requests to do
so. That changed when we got a call from Amy O’Connor, whose close
friend Charles Lewis had recently succumbed to a rare blood disease.
Amy explains how it came about:
| “With
the help of the Friends of Forest Hill Park, the pain of having lost a
loved one was eased by the planting of a new life in the form of a
beautiful tree at Forest Hill Park. The process of selecting a
sanctuary spot, planting a symbolic tree, and placing a memorial stone
in memory of Charles E. Lewis after his recent passing due to aplastic
anemia was further motivated by the chance to help with the
reforestation program at Forest Hill Park. Friends and family of
Charles Lewis decided to plant a Japanese snow cherry as a way to
remember Charles' beauty, perseverance, and life. It is a touching,
peaceful, and beautiful way to carry on the life of someone who meant
so much to so many people. Thankfully, Friends of Forest Hill Park
welcomed our request to commemorate Charles in this way. Now, all of
his friends and family can find meaning in the park beyond its natural
beauty. When we want to take a few moments to remember Charles, we can
visit his memorial tree at Forest Hill Park.” |
At the suggestion of Friends of Forest Hill Park, Charles’ tree was
planted in the original Azalea Garden section of Forest Hill Park, a
garden that had provided the rootstock for the famous Azalea Gardens at
Bryan Park. As the tree was being planted last March, Aaron Gilchrist
of NBC12 News, also a friend of Charles Lewis, recorded a brief spot
for his weekly “You Want To Know” series.
As a result of that
broadcast, Friends of Forest Hill Park received another request to
plant a memorial tree in the park. Tunstall Bagley’s story is equally
touching:
| “While
watching the [NBC12] news story about planting the memorial tree for
Charles Lewis, it suddenly occurred to me that this would be a great
opportunity to create a living memorial in honor of my fiancé’s
mother,
Anh Willis, who died very unexpectedly in 1998. Her son Earl, my
fiancé, was attending veterinary school at Virginia Tech when
she was
hospitalized and, sadly, she passed away before he could return home to
see her. Mrs. Willis died in the United States, but she was buried in
her homeland, Vietnam. I thought Earl and his brother might like to
have a place here that would remind them of their lovely mother. So I
contacted Friends of Forest Hill Park and we discussed the planting of
our tree. My hope is that the area we selected, a lovely area of
dappled shade in the old Azalea Gardens, and her tree, a Japanese red
maple, together with the marker that will be placed nearby, will be a
fitting memorial to Anh Willis. I hope that this beautiful spot will be
visited often by Earl and his family--and by our family together in the
years to come.” |
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