Dedication ceremony held for beloved Bird Sanctuary founder - Garden City News
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John Cronin, President of the Board of Directors of the GC Bird Sanctuary
It was a special day at the Garden City Bird Sanctuary, last Saturday, as a dedication ceremony was held in honor of one of its founders, June Fay. June was a lifelong resident of the Village, who passed away in May of last year. Over thirty people attended the event, which included the unveiling of a new pond and other improvements to the nine-acre community nature preserve.
John Cronin, President of the Board of Directors of the GC Bird Sanctuary, said a few words in June’s honor and also spoke about the improvements that have taken place at the green space.
“We made some improvements to our nine-acre environmental jewel here at the Garden City Bird Sanctuary,” said Cronin. “The most notable of which is this beautiful pond as you come into the entrance. We are dedicating it to the memory of June Fay, who was one of the founders in 1995, and was the first secretary of the board, from 1995 to 2010. Her spirit and all of the things that she stood for are being celebrated here today.”
The ceremony entailed dedication speeches in June’s honor by Cronin and by her son, Gregg Hensley and her sister, Arlene Fairhurst-Kister. There were also a couple of religious readings, as June was a lifelong devout Christian, and songs sung in memory of her life and spirit.
Fairhurst-Kister said that her sister was the “center of our family,” as well as being an avid gardener and active member at the Bird Sanctuary.
Gregg Hensley (June Faye’s son) and Arlene Fairhurst-Kister (June’s sister.)
“She was one of the strongest and most courageous people I’ve ever known,” said Fairhurst-Kister . “After being stricken with a rare form of cancer and winning that battle, she went on to help friends and other people with cancer find doctors and get their medical checkups. She was also involved in so many worthwhile causes, including being a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, of which now I am an active member. I hope that every time someone thinks of June, they will pass on that kindness to someone else.”
Cronin said that even though the sanctuary is in much better shape than it was twenty-six years ago, when it was a neglected storm water basin, there is more work and improvements to be done.
“We still have some more fundraising to do because right now we’re still using a generator, which is very inefficient and costly. We would like to raise money for solar power and keep it completely green. This way during the sunny days it will keep it going and at nighttime it won’t matter because nobody’s here. We’d like to put environmentally friendly things into the water, which will keep the fish safe and algae out and keep it at the pristine level it is now.”
The Sanctuary is newly refurbished and open to the public under its new name, the June Fay Memorial Pond
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