LaMothe to be remembered by Children's Museum

Date: 1/19/2009

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



WILBRAHAM The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved of a request from the Wilbraham Children's Museum to erect a memorial to Dennis LaMothe at their Jan. 12 meeting.

LaMothe served on the museum's Board of Directors and as its maintenance coordinator for many years. He passed away two years ago and some of those who worked with him felt he should be honored for his dedication to the museum.

"Our committee wanted to commemorate his death, honor him for what he's done for the museum and our children," Christa Robinson, a past vice-president of the museum and current board member, told the selectmen. She was joined by Sheryl Moriarty, a past board member, and Marianne Kukulka, a past board member and the museum's current treasurer.

The memorial will be sandblasted onto a 23-inch tall boulder, which weighs about one ton. The placement of the boulder has not yet been determined.

"We wanted a natural look to it," Robinson explained. That is why the committee chose a boulder for the memorial over a bench or a plaque. She said the boulder was the group's "first thought."

She added that the museum is planning on hosting a memorial service sometime in the spring.

"Dennis did everything above and beyond," Moriarty told Reminder Publications. This was part of the reason she believed LaMothe deserves a memorial.

"We all drive by [the museum], we would all see this," Robinson added. "It's something we needed to do."

The boulder was donated by a family in Wilbraham, but it will cost the museum money to sandblast the dedication into the stone. Anyone interested in donating to this cause should contact Robinson at 599-4871 or christax@charter.net.

Located at 678 Main St., the Wilbraham Children's Museum was established in 1982 to provide recreational and educational services for the children of Wilbraham and surrounding communities. The museum is designed to meet the needs of children under age five, and the playground and play areas inside the museum have been specifically designed with this age group in mind.

For more information on the museum, visit www.wilbrahamchildrensmuseum.org.