We moved to Duluth, Georgia from New York in June 1990 thanks to a wonderful job transfer. We were smitten by the lower taxes, nice weather and low house prices. Our son, Jonathan, was two years old at the time, and our daughter was born a few years later in March 1992. Life was good. We felt blessed living in a wonderful community. Imagine a place where there are world-class schools, four equal seasons, only one snowfall a year (if any) and where a local church delivers an apple pie to your new home shortly after your arrival – a little bit of Mayberry right here in Georgia. The community of Duluth grew in the 90’s. It became a small fish in a big pond as more people moved there, and larger companies created a strong tax base. In 2003, the city erected a Town Green which became Duluth’s centerpiece. Paul and I enjoyed going to concerts there for over thirteen years. Many big-name bands performed there as well as local favorites including Rupert’s Orchestra and Yacht Rock Schooner. The “oldies but goodies “ bands also performed, and that is when Paul and I usually made it to the dance floor. We spent many Saturday nights sitting on the Green, enjoying our adult beverage paired with a picnic dinner while visiting with the local folks. Our circle was wide; we knew and kept in touch with our kids’ high school friends and their parents. We knew just about everyone in our close-knit neighborhood, a swim/tennis community of 200+ homes also located in the City of Duluth. When our kids got older, we made new friends. In 2006, Paul started bike riding with a group from the Duluth Cycling Shop and enjoyed meeting up with his new brotherhood. I, too, found my tribe when I became a founding member of the Duluth Fine Arts League in 2009. I became involved in the community as an art leader. Our circle further increased, and often we would go to Downtown Duluth because there was always something going on, and we wanted to see our friends. If you have visited this blog before, you will know what happened on July 9, 2016. Paul died suddenly and tragically in a bike accident in the North Georgia Mountains in an area known as the Gap. This post is not about his accident, but if you are curious to know more, you should read the first two posts which can be found here and here. Paul’s funeral was a testament to how much he loved and was loved in Duluth. Our house was filled with people for several days after his death. People called and sent food, cards and flowers. Over 200 people attended his visitation at the funeral home including the Mayor of Duluth and almost the entire City Council. Teachers from the high school came, parents we knew from our kids’ band and cheerleader days came, and even his college roommate came. The bike riding group came as well as my Chamber of Commerce associates and the Duluth Fine Arts League members. Our circle was well represented. The funeral Mass at St. Monica’s Catholic Church was filled with many of the same people. The community that gave us so much came to him to mourn his passing. A couple of months passed by, and I attended the monthly Duluth Fine Arts League meeting and learned the progress of a new public art project planned for Duluth called The Dream Keepers. The Dream Keepers was being designed by Kathy Fincher, a renowned artist from Duluth. She was designing the largest patriotic bronze sculpture collection of children in the country based on her painting from 9/11/2001. It was going to be erected at the Town Green - the same place Paul and I went for concerts and gatherings. The project has a lot of history so if you want to read more about it you can refer to this link. The project touched me, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it, so I contacted Kathy Fincher and asked her if she would consider adding a dog to the sculptures. I wanted to sponsor a dog in the name of my late husband. I did not get an answer from Kathy for several months, so I thought she did not like my idea. Finally, I did receive an email from her. It was a one line email that read, “Mary, the sculptor said he would sculpt a dog.” I was elated, and this one email made my day. Our next step was to decide on what breed dog should be sculpted. I immediately thought of a Welsh Corgi, since our last two dogs were Corgis, and Paul was their Master. Kathy did not think a Corgi was a wise choice as it was not a very well-known breed. I started to think about another breed, and then I remembered that Paul grew up with a Cocker Spaniel named Sparky. Kathy thought the breed was perfect for the collection of bronze children, so the sculpting of Sparky began. I found some photos of Sparky in an old photo album that I found at his Mom’s house. (see above) The photos were very small, so Kathy used a photo of a living cocker spaniel from her neighborhood to sculpt him. A few months later I saw the first photo of the finished Sparky, and the resemblance to the original Sparky was amazing. n April 29, 2017, the unveiling of The Dream Keepers took place in a festive and patriotic celebration at the Town Green. As the president of the Duluth Fine Arts League, I sat on stage with the Mayor and the Governor of Georgia. What an honor that was. I welcomed the guests, sponsors and visitors that evening to the historic event. And then I told my story of Sparky. I did not talk about Paul’s passing; instead, I spoke of how I wanted to be a part of this project so I could leave a memorial to my husband, Paul, in a city that he loved so much. The Dream Keepers will be a permanent art memorial at the Town Green, and Paul’s name and his little Sparky will be immortalized forever for his children, his future grandchildren and the people of Duluth. BELOW IS A PICTURE OF THE ENTIRE ART PIECE.
5 Comments
Katrina Stone
5/31/2017 08:07:10 pm
Beautiful tribute.
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5/31/2017 08:44:39 pm
Mary,
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Jamie
6/5/2017 08:33:34 am
What a beautiful memory for you all. Your strength and determination is amazing Mary.
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Karen
6/5/2017 03:55:10 pm
Wonderful piece of constructive healing. My heart....
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