COURTESY PHOTO
Gerard Dwan died on April 3.
By KATHY MONTEJUNAS
The Goldfish Pond community suffered a great loss this year. Gerard Dwan, the founder of the Goldfish Pond Association, died on April 3. Gerard, a carpenter and builder, was born on Prince Edward Island and came to Lynn in 1959, where he established a life of devotion to his family, church, and community.
His Goldfish Pond neighbors and friends benefited from his many skills, passions, and unselfish spirit. In 1970, a group of neighbors gathered together, elected Gerard as president, and worked at trying to restore the pond and park to its former beauty. Their initial efforts faded, but Gerard was not deterred. In 1980 he persisted once again and founded the Goldfish Pond Association, still an active neighborhood group.
Gerard led the community to campaign on a host of neighborhood and citywide concerns. We attacked crime problems by working with former Ward 3 City Councilor Dick Coppinger. Gerard helped lead a volunteer effort to repair the crumbling walls around the pond. He helped mobilize people to clean the park and pond of trash, repaired benches, and painted over graffiti.
Gerard worked with Priscilla Gately and together they established gardens on the island in the center of the heart-shaped pond and surrounding traffic islands. The Association received city Community Development money to purchase fountains.
Goldfish Pond became and has remained a sparkling gem in the city thanks in part to Gerard’s leadership.
Today, the Association continues the work started by Gerard nearly 40 years ago. He was a role model for one and all. His displayed a limitless imagination and the persistence to accomplish his dreams. There was no problem he couldn’t solve, and there was no obstacle that would defeat him. He was always the first person out early morning working on the island and the last to leave. Gerard was charismatic and charming. He reached out to everyone and invited everyone to become part of the neighborhood. His unselfish spirit helped create camaraderie among a widely diverse group of neighbors.
That spirit lives on. Forty years later the Goldfish Pond Association is still a vital organization that plants the gardens on the island, maintains the surrounding area, raises funds to continue its efforts, and addresses problems as they arise. The beautiful area and the combined spirit of the neighbors are a remarkable legacy that Gerard has left to Lynn.
The Goldfish Pond Association will honor Gerard Dwan’s accomplishments on Saturday, June 10, at 12:30 at the park. The public is invited to attend the service.
Kathy Montejunas is a Lynn resident and Goldfish Pond Association member.