University Diaries » Garrett Park Inaugurates Yeandle Park.

On this beautiful Saturday evening, tons of townspeople gathered to open a new meditation park, on land donated by Laetitia Yeandle.

I used to watch Laetitia, a distinguished Renaissance scholar, march purposively by my house of a morning, on her way to the Folger Library. Six feet tall, bent forward with haste and, well, purposiveness, she clutched in each of her hands briefcases bursting with samples of sixteenth century paleography.

Laetitia woke up each morning intensely focused on her work; she marched back up Rokeby at the end of the day with the very same focus. She obviously loved what she did.

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In its way as important as her contribution to Renaissance scholarship was her gift of land for the gorgeous park that bears her name. Garrett Parkers are blessed with trees and parks, and here is another quiet communal corner, with winding paths and wooden benches, encircled by vast old timbers.

But the gift of land is just the start — the first gathering there, like gatherings to come, was a moment of communion, of warm recognition of the people who love Garrett Park the way she did.

I met a new neighbor at the inauguration; I met her longhaired corgi.

And this of course was Laetitia’s real gift — an inspiring place to meet and meet again the people who share UD’s ever-renascent town.

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