My Ode to Van, Our Awesome Man
Written By: Katherine Homan
I first met Van Johnson at the Fort Worth Avenue Development Group's (FWADG) 20th Anniversary party. He had been one of our founding Board members, holding the position of Environmental Chair. I was immediately charmed and enchanted by him and accepted his invitation to take the famous yard tour of his home in Stevens Park Village. Once I realized how eco-friendly and sustainable it was, I invited him to tour my own home, recognized in 2010 as the first green-built house in the City of Dallas. We were both evidently very close kin to Mother Nature!
Fast forward to my meeting someone else who immediately charmed and enchanted me, Julie Fineman, visionary and president of the Constellation of Living Memorials project that aims to give old cemeteries new life through a re-wilding program. She was inviting FWADG reps to her home (abutting the historic Warren Ferris Cemetery) re. our joining this effort by leading the restoration of Western Heights Cemetery (for which the FWADG had long before been volunteering its time and funds toward keeping its grounds mowed and trees trimmed). I immediately thought of telling Van that the FWADG was considering undertaking this ambitious project. He not only lived 4 minutes away from Western Heights Cemetery, but he was also a 'natural' to infuse his strength and spirit into this long abandoned and sorely neglected place where trash and overgrown grasses prevailed.
At Julie's home for the orientation, Van's memories were revived of his childhood in Michigan accompanying his Mom who toured and taught him about cemeteries. This 67 year old retired banker whose professional career had dealt with keeping track of dry numbers became rejuvenated, envisioning how to undertake this restoration and even who to recruit in this endeavor. However, his organizational skills developing the landscape restoration plan, creating timelines for execution, conducting the initial plant survey, etc. are the routine and mundane aspects of Van's endeavors, compared to how his personal presence toiling daily on this 2 acre site awakens and inspires people to engage with him in transforming this 2 acre cemetery, habitually panned and disparaged on Yelp and Trip Advisor.
So why do I love him, let me tell you some of the ways! Personally guiding impromptu tours to visitors, with one woman from Alaska donating $120 toward a bench she would have liked to sit on for a rest break; seeing harmful mistletoe as a holiday fundraising opportunity and selling 4 boxes of it to a retail florist friend; promoting Buy-a-Brick to neighbors to give as Christmas gifts; inspiring a member of his gardening group to pay his yard man to come help with clearing out brush and invasive species of undergrowth; and one of my favorites, a neighbor finding $7 on the street and seeing it as an omen for him to donate $50 toward upkeep the cemetery! Last but not least, he has set the Internet record straight that Western Heights Cemetery is under new management. https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=K3DKmD_hXsQxWU4lstmdDw. Reviewers on Trip Advisor mention caretaker Van - "An amazing guy. Gave me whole rundown of the different graves, families, etc. Lovely place, and will get lovelier now that they have a huge beautification grant. Highly recommend, and look for Van!"
FWADG is blessed beyond measure to have Van leading and managing our Constellation of Living Memorials project. As a founding member of FWADG, he has touched our hearts and minds and resurrected our spirits and strength on behalf of no longer neglected and trashy Western Heights Cemetery. Sight-seers are now proudly taking pictures of their cemetery visit, even descendants of those buried there who are coming for the solar eclipse will have a group picture taken inside this no longer ruin of a graveyard.
ALL THANKS TO VAN for cultivating and coaxing forth everyone's higher angels.