Lynbrook Library garden dedicated to late board president

Last month, the Lynbrook Public Library hosted a small ceremony to christen the Regina A. Flaherty Memorial Garden in honor of a former library board president who died in 2017.

“She was very community-oriented,” Library Director Robyn Gilloon said. “She had lots of vision and to be able to have an area where people can remember her and reflect upon her is very important.”

Gilloon has been library director since 2006, and said Flaherty was the board president when she came to her position up until her death. Gilloon and Flaherty came up with the idea to create a garden outside the library for its 80th anniversary in 2009. All the work was done by the Lynbrook Department of Public Works, and it was recognized as a Project of the Year completed by a municipal agency by the Metro Chapter of the American Public Works Association. Keith Bonomo was also recognized for his supervising and project management on the job.

Flaherty died on Sept. 18, 2017, at the age of 65. She was a member of the Solidarity of Our Lady of St. Raymond’s parish, the Lynbrook Owls Moms and Dads Club, the Gridiron Club and the PTA. Flaherty also served as the president of the Friends of the Lynbrook Library and as president of the library board. According to her obituary on the website for Perry Funeral Home, Inc., she was known for her chocolate chip cookies, her rainbow cookies, crumb cakes and whoopee pies.

The garden was named in her memory on Nov. 2 in a small ceremony, because, Gillon said, Flaherty was never one for attention. Her family members, friends, library colleagues and village officials attended the dedication.

“She was very low key,” Gillon said. “She didn’t want to be the center of attention and did what she did out of compassion, not for notoriety, so she really wouldn’t have wanted any big fanfare.”

At the memorial ceremony, Gilloon lauded Flaherty for all she did for her community during her life.

“If lives are measured in accomplishments, we can all believe that Regina lived a fulfilling, meaningful life,” she said. “All of us gathered here are more fortunate because we knew her. This garden, now the Regina A. Flaherty Memorial Garden, is a place for gathering and celebrating Regina, a woman who touched so many lives and made the world a better place.”