Grissett’s family donates park bench

Grissett’s family donates park bench

With little public fanfare but with great love, the family of former Riverside Avondale Preservation Director Bonnie Grissett donated a Boone Park bench in her name last month.
The park bench is located on the pathway near the playground at the St. Johns Avenue side of Boone Park.
Bonnie, who passed away December 2010 after a long battle with breast cancer, grew up near and played in Boone Park as a child, according to son David. She also was instrumental in planning and placing the new playground equipment in Boone Park, giving the bench’s placement particular meaning. He and siblings Stephen Grissett and Elizabeth Grissett Ray donated the park bench in mid-October. The family hopes to host family and friends for a small dedication at the park once a date can be established, David said.
The park was the backdrop for many events in Bonnie’s life, David shared. She camped at Boone Park as a Girl Scout and much later took his son Wallace to play at Boone Park. Bonnie’s achievements, however, were further-reaching in the Riverside-Avondale area. During her life, Bonnie helped establish the Riverside Avondale neighborhood as a historic district and was instrumental in many local events – Luminaria, the Riverside Arts Festival and RAP’s Spring Tour of Homes to name a few, according to a memorial on the RAP website. She was the executive director of RAP for more than 16 years.
A February 2008 story in The Florida Times-Union announcing Grissett’s retirement added negotiations with St. Vincent’s Medical Center and the 5 Points Publix-anchored shopping center to her list of professional accomplishments. The article underscored her “quiet, non-confrontational approach that built consensus among people” as one of her leadership strengths.

By Susanna P. Barton
Resident Community News

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