By Amy Batista, Special Writer
EAST WINDSOR – Township council members, along with family and friends, gathered to honor former council member Hector Duke last week with the unveiling of a stone in his honor and the planting of Blossoming Kwanza Cherry tree.
“It’s a couple weeks off from Arbor Day, but it’s always a good time to plant a tree for such an important and significant purpose as we are doing here today,” said Mayor Janice Mironov.
Participants gathered at the entrance to the Etra Lake Park Pathway May 16 to celebrate the life of Mr. Duke, who died Dec. 3, 2015, at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, PA at the age of 81.
He was born in Chicago, and resided in Pennsylvania before moving to East Windsor 36 years ago. Prior to his retirement in 1994, he was a manufacturing engineer for IMO Delaval Turbine, Hamilton, where he worked for more than 40 years.
Mayor Mironov said that trees are seen as an internal sign of life and memory and a way to honor somebody by providing for a living instrument. A stone in Mr. Duke’s honor will be placed on the Senior Center grounds.
“We thought the two locations were perfect,” said Mayor Mironov. “The Senior Center is a place that is important to all of us and to Hector.”
The tree planted at the Etra Lake Pathway was important to the Duke family.
“It’s very close to the home front,” said the mayor. “Lots of his friends make regular use of the pathway. It stands here as part of the gateway to the pathway is very special and a significant way to remember Hector by all of us.
Mayor Mironov said that Mr. Duke is missed in the community.
“We miss even his not so funny jokes,” she said. “His presence and spirit remains with us and in this manner we will have two significant ways to be able to remember Hector.”
Council member Perry Shapiro took a couple of minutes to share a few words in regards to his friend and fellow council member.
“I miss him very much,” he said. “I’ll never forget Hector, but these symbols are so that everybody knows what he meant to us and what he meant to our community. He was just such an all around great guy.”
Council member Alan Rosenberg said that he had run for a council seat along with Mr. Duke.
“If you had a problem, he had an answer. He never turned away. It wasn’t always the right answer. Sometimes it was the right answer to another question. It was the right answer for something, but he never turned away from helping,” said Mr. Rosenberg.
He said that the tree was terrific and it was nice of the township to do something like this.
Mayor Mironov along with some of his family members unveiled the stone that was place in front of the tree.
“The stone, as you can see, indicates in honor of and remembrance of council member Hector Duke’s caring service to East Windsor 1998 -2015,” she said. “A generous and goodhearted soul to all.”
Everyone who wanted to was able to participate in taking turns placing a shovel full of dirt at the base of the tree.
