By Angela Marshall
Instead, she did heart gardening.
Rene spent her time cultivating dreams, sowing understanding and planting knowledge, according to friend Ellen White.
She always made you feel so welcome and comfortable to be with, like the rich soil from the garden. She sprinkled you with kind words and brightened you with warm thoughts, White said.
So it is fitting that her friends honored Rene's memory last week by dedicating Rene's Garden at the Rockville Centre Library. Rene, a former employee of the library, died during the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11.
Flowers, bushes and shrubs in an array of colors and sizes were planted in front of the library this spring. A wooden bench, where book lovers like Rene can spend a quiet afternoon, stands in the middle.
It is here that Rene's legacy continues. Ruth Miller loves to share stories about Rene with those who stop to comment on the garden's beauty. They tell her how lucky Rene was to have such good friends, but Ruth knows that they were the lucky ones.
Through tending the garden, Rene's friends have found comfort and healing.
During the service, Rene's daughter, Maeve, read the poem I have an Angel by Genie Graveline. Rene's husband, John Eric, and son, Chris, also attended the service. John Eric and Rene's sister, J.R. Crowley, thanked all those who helped create the garden and who helped the family deal with their loss during the last 10 months. Many friends and neighbors still call and check in on the family.
There were three musical tributes to Rene. A pre-school class sang Gonna Make This Garden Grow, Cris Daly and Bob Crescenzo sang I Know You by Heart and Cris and Bob were joined by Ruth and Gavin Miller to sing Elegy.
Ellen White's son, Terence, talked about his special relationship with his neighbor. He called Rene his reading buddy and shared a passage from the book they were reading when she died, The BFG by Roald Dahl. Terence thanked Mr. Olson for finishing the book with him.
This is our gift, our valentine, our love letter to you, John Eric, Chris, Maeve and the family, Ruth said. We want you to know how Rene touched our lives and how we celebrate her life.
