PEABODY — The weather was so beautiful it was as if angels were watching over a special ceremony Saturday morning at Brooksby Farm, as the city came together to unveil a new memorial called the Healing Garden.
The garden honors three pillars of the community who left too soon. Student Jackson Frechette, former Superintendent of Schools Cara Murtaugh, and Peabody Veterans Memorial High School Assistant Principal Judie Maniatis will never be forgotten by the city.
Frechette was a 13-year-old student at Higgins Middle School in November 2019 when he was struck and killed on Rte. 114. Just seven days after his tragic death, Murtaugh unexpectedly passed away. Three days after Murtagh’s death, Maniatis died suddenly as well.
Murtagh and Maniatis were both veterans of the Peabody education system. Murtagh worked in the city’s school system for 23 years, climbing all the way to superintendent in 2018. A popular special education, IEP chairperson and “B” House dean, Maniatis had been with Peabody schools for 20 years.
“This is a very special day for our community to be able to take this moment and recognize the lives of some amazing people that really touched so many across our community,” said Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt, Jr. “It’s a day of sadness but also of hope. The way our community came together to create something beautiful in their memory is really something special. I’m just very proud to be a part of the Peabody community.”
City Councilor-at-Large Tom Gould, one of the driving forces behind the garden, said the project was a collaborative effort from start to finish.
“We were able to bring a lot of people together to create a special place for people to go and visit,” Gould said. “There was nothing there before but a few piles of mulch, and now it’s just a spectacular place.”
Gould said the city had help from several partners, including the Peabody Municipal Light Department, which underwrote the cost of the lighting. The project was funded by a $90,000 grant from the Community Preservation Committee. Brian Cranney did the design and construction, while Zolotas Electrical supplied and installed all electrical supplies. Lucia’s Lighting in Lynn provided the lighting.
“They were all very good to us,” said Gould. “Greg (Zolotas) was a key member of the team and Lucia’s was very, very good to us. We were fortunate to have been able to collaborate with Brian from the beginning and he really had a special vision for what the garden should look like.”
The garden features engraved brick pathways along with its centerpiece — three granite benches. Each bench is engraved with a personalized inscription. Frechette’s reads, “Forever Hugging You,” while Murtagh’s carries the district’s signature slogan, “Every Student Every Day,” along with “Heel to the Chief.” Maniatis’s bench carries the phrase “Tanner Blue, Tried and True.” The garden also features various flowers and trees. New irrigation and lighting were installed, and new mulch added.
Gould said approximately 300 people turned out for the event, including several city councilors and city staff, school committee members and school department staff, Sen. Joan Lovely, and representatives from the Essex County Sheriff’s Department. A Peabody High R.O.T.C. honor guard was also on hand.
The mayor said he hopes that the healing garden can become a place where people can come to find peace. Gould hopes the location will be a vessel for serenity.
“It really is a place (where) kids can come, adults can come,” Gould said. “It’s going to be a very nice addition to Brooksby Farm. Before, all you really had here if you wanted to sit on a nice day was an old picnic bench, so this I believe will become a popular place for people to come and enjoy a quiet place with their thoughts.”
