In Memory of Kestrel923

Dedication of bench at Huntley Meadows Park 6-15-08

2008-06-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

Photo Album: KingletVA

It was a couple of bitter-sweet hours on Sunday, 6/15/08, when friends of Leni “Kes” Friedman gathered at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, Va. To dedicate a bench in her honor and to share memories of her.

The bench is placed in the shade, overlooking a meadow, that was one of her favorite birding places there. Everyone, had at some time in the past, sat beside Leni, pointing out sightings of birds, swapping stories, resting or waiting for her to identify a birdsong, even though we could not see the singer. It does not matter, whether it was in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New jersey or even Texas or Arizona. We have all shared a bench with Leni.

Those common memories of her, were for those present that day, our bond to Leni, and it is her legacy, wherever she went- was creating a community of sharing what she loved, be it birding, or embroidery, her music or her love of nature. She did not just love the birds, she loved the butterflies, the dragonflies, the shape and color of clouds in the sky.

Afterwards, we walked back to the Visitors Center, birding all the way of course.

Director / Naturalist Kevin had set aside a room for us for refreshments that we brought along. In the background was bird song music and he had placed birds, hawks, herons, owls, woodpeckers and yes, two American Kestrels, a male and female on display from the museum part of the center. It was like a living room with soft lighting, chairs and tables.

In the central viewing area , was a plaque inscribed Friends of Huntley Meadows. Included in the names now, is Lenore “Leni” Friedman and the inscription below her name, “ Imagine, how empty our world would be, if no bird sang.”

All the family was there, her husband , “Doc” to many of us, her 3 girls and son Mark, her grandchildren as well, and friends that could make it there, as it was Father’s Day as well.

As we said goodbye’s to one another, amid hugs, tears and smiles, we all had the same feeling of thanks for having known Leni, in different stages of her life. She was a wife, a mother, a daughter, grandmother, birder, craftswoman, artist, musician, writer, photographer, but most of all--- she was a true friend. I miss her so much.

A heartfelt appreciation goes out to all who participated and made this event possible: the donations toward the memorial benches from all over the United States, the people involved in making this happen, her family for managing the details as well as Kevin and the staff of Huntley Meadows Park, and most of all to” Doc” Friedman for making this memorial a reality, by his decision to honor Leni’s legacy this way.

If you ever get to Arlington and Huntley Meadows, stop in the Visitor’s center/museum and then walk the trails and see the amazing amount of birds that call Huntley Meadows home. I think Leni is home there too.

by Ilse Jorgensen and Pat Allred

memories of Kestrel

2008-02-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

Author: mthrn8tur

Kestrel hosted the birding chat room the first night I was ever on a computer, a dozen years ago or more. I was in the chatroom every time it was open, mainly because of her. I first met her in person with three other chatroom buddies in Nebraska for a sandhill crane adventure, then in Falls Church, VA for birding in Huntley Meadows (her mother lived two blocks from our son), and finally at an Eastern Shore chatroom gathering. I use words such as 'dynamo', 'force,' 'memorable,' 'leader,' 'organizer,' 'compassion,' and 'quick (typist and -witted)', to describe her. I miss her - all those qualities just named, plus her gentle humor. I am a better person because I knew her.

MthrN8tur@aol.com aka Gretchen Cutts

Photos Leni & Cybirders

2008-02-03T05:12:00.000-08:00

Author: crowhill17

Leni, EDian (also, sadly, gone) & ? Cindy?.
Leni & Cappy at the
Cape May hawk watch.
Leni counting the contributions to our take-out dinner at Lewes. According to my date stamps these were taken in 2003, but I'm not sure the Cape May & Lewes photos are from the same gathering.

Our feisty Kestrel has flown, but such fond memories remain. I joined the BirdChat within the first year of getting my first computer, Leni was the host. Her enthusiasm lured me into going to the 2nd annual Cybirder's gathering in Lewes, DE. In those days there were warnings all over about being wary of actually meeting people you only knew online. Ax-murderers, wierdos & flakes. With that in mind I convinced my non-birding, DH to accompany me. What a blast, such fun, a whole new group of far-flung friends! Leni even pointed out my life Kestrel on a wire. That was 1996. I still have all the programs. Leni was the glue that held the group together, she was the driving force behind trying new places, going ever further afield, Cape Cod, Plum Is. & finally Texas. DH & I did the Texas jaunt. It is so hard to believe that that trip was the last for our Kestrel923.

Every Kestrel on a wire will forever bring back memories of Leni.

Sigrid

Leni's funeral

2008-01-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

Author: kingletva

I want to share just a few things that happened. The Rabbi read from the scriptures in Hebrew, then in English Ecclesiastes 3 "for everything there is a season..>". I followed with parts of Ps. 103 "Bless the Lord, o my soul..." and Ps. 139 vs. 9-10, " If I rise on the wings of the morning...." and after that I read a poem that I sent Leni last year on her birthday card, Feb. 9th, while we were busy planning Texas trip. Little did I know, I would be reading it to her at her funeral. It goes like this: My heart holds all the seasons, winter, summer, spring and fall, each one is ever present, they are at my beck and call. The falling snow of winter, finds a corner in my heart, and to dream of springtime, when it's time to turn the sod. The early frosts of autumn fill yet another place, with leaves red and gold, a show of autumn's grace. To lie in a meadow and watch the clouds drift by, or sit by a cool mountain stream and watch the sunlit sky. My heart treasures all the seasons, not just one or two, and so it treasures all the years, the years of me and you. Her two son-in-laws gave the Eulogy and Pat Alred read a poem, that her cousin Sally gave her. It was very moving and poingant, not a dry eye to be found. Afterwards, everyone returned to Doc's house. Sig and Bill, Jeff, and others from chat were there. Bonnie made a lovely album for Doc of pix through the years of the birders. While in the cemetary a flock of geese flew over in formation, with one missing. It was symbolic. Take care all--see you in chat. ilse

I am missing my good friend, Leni.

2008-01-17T07:05:00.000-08:00

Author: mamaduck1

The very first Cybirders get together -- Lewes 1995. Leni is 4th from the left.

Philadelphia Cybirders, Fall 1995. Leni looking good in her red hat.

Lewes, 1996

MamaDuck1 and Kes at Huntley Meadows 1995.

Exceptional Person

2008-01-16T16:46:00.000-08:00

Author: avesbirder

Where does one even begin to start describing an exceptional person?

When I first signed onto AOL in 2000, the first place I found online the Birding Community. One of the first people that set out the welcome mat for me was Leni. Her warm, open nature was infectious. She had a way of grabbing everyone into a conversation and lighting up a room when she came in. I personally met Leni only three times - Cape May, Lewes, and Deep Creek. Each of those trips were special to me since it put faces to names. It breaks my heart to know that I will never see one of those faces again.

Here are the pictures from the Cybirders weekend in Deep Creek. Some of the pictures were taken were taken by Leni. You'll know which ones by the captions. ;)

}:)ï(:{~Shannon Platt~}:)ï(:{

So Giving

2008-01-16T08:01:00.000-08:00

Author: mec101

Thanks for all the fun times, Leni. You made me feel as though I had known you forever when we first met. Cape May and Lewes will never be the same. At least now when I go there, I know you will always be there as well still giving me advise and direction. You will be missed more than you could ever have known.

Ed Brown

Thanks Leni!

2008-01-15T16:41:00.000-08:00

Author: marshhawk

I was priviliged to be among the handfull of birders that started the AOL Birding Forum many years ago (1993 I believe). Leni was then and always has been since the prime mover behind this group bringing the enjoyment of cybirding to so many. I last saw her a couple of years ago here on Plum Island in Massachusetts. Although I haven't been around that much in recent years I have never forgotten our adventures together in the early days of AOL. Thanks for the memories Leni and God bless your family. :-)

Ed Mair

Photos of Kes

2008-01-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

Author: widgaither

More photos of my mom from some of the albums she shared with us....

Mom's black cats

Mom and Dad, getting their 50th Anniversary surprise (trip to Smith Mtn with all of us)

Mom and Dad meeting their new in-laws to be

Eagles Nest and the sunrise

Trip to Pacific NW - with her cousin, Sally

This shot was taken at Huntley Meadows, her favorite.

In Southport, NC

With our dog, Misty

R: Leni, Ilse, Sig, Jeff and Pat, at Wright's" href=""> R: Leni, Ilse, Sig, Jeff and Pat, at Wright's" style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px" height=58 alt="L > R: Leni, Ilse, Sig, Jeff and Pat, at Wright's" src="http://shutter01.pictures.aol.com/data/pictures/02/02A/7F/2D/05/A8/5ap4pTSNkwCLt18Pvl2AsQrT5WA+36b60060.jpg" width=96 align=center border=0>A number of birding trips here...

At her NC grandchildren's school for Grandparent Day

Pictures of Kes with family

2008-01-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

Author: widgaither

From her daughter

2008-01-15T10:26:00.000-08:00

Author: widgaither

Thank you all for posting here; Ilse shared the link with us. I'm her oldest (agh) daughter and can't tell you how much you all enriched my mom's life. She had a passion for birding but it was the comraderie and humor and compassion and friendship that was what made it such an incredibly fulfilling part of her life. I'm going to try to poach some pictures from her albums and put a link here if I can.

Announcement from Fam

2008-01-14T20:58:00.000-08:00

This is the announcement from FamilyMedMD this evening:

Hello to all,

It is with great sadness that I am writing to let you all know that our dear, mutual friend, Leni Friedman (screen name Kestrel923) passed away today, just after noon, after a long battle with metastatic lung cancer.

Many of you are on this e-mail list for the first time, so I apologize for the sudden bad news. Leni touched so many, and as we were talking in birding chat this weekend, we tried to add anyone that was known to be close to her.

She was in hospice care, in her own home in the mountains of Virginia, surrounded by her family at her bedside, when she passed away. I should also mention that she was attended by one of our own birding chat roommates, "KingletVA," who has been a tremendously faithful friend to Leni for many years, but particularly during this past few months of her decline.

Kinglet has been a home nurse aid for many years, and provided great comfort to Leni and her family, staying nearly round the clock for the past several weeks, and was with her when she passed from this life.

There should be more information to come, regarding services, and will try to give you a link to the obituary when it is published (you can watch for it in the Washington Post). The funeral is to be Wednesday at 1:00 PM. Anyone who would like information can look for the obituary online, should be there soon.

Kinglet tells me they would like to plan to have donations in lieu of flowers be used to provide something to memorialize her at one of her favorite birding spots, Huntley Meadows. ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE CAN SEND A CHECK DIRECTLY TO HUNTLEY MEADOWS, IN ARLINGTON VA, AND PUT ON THE MEMO LINE "LENORE FRIEDMAN MEMORIAL FUND." When they receive a total of 500 dollars, they will commission a bench there as a memorial, which seems very fitting.

The time has come....

2008-01-14T20:20:00.000-08:00

author: avesbirder

Hello all.

It is with great sadness in my heart that I make the first post in this journal. I had hoped when I made this journal last month that I wouldn't have to make the first post for some time.

As stated in the "All About Me" section, anyone can post to this journal. I know we all have special memories of Kestrel923. I don't know if the Obituary for Kes will allow for pictures, but you may post them here. And please do no think that you are limited to only one posting. You may post as many times as you'd like. I have posted a couple of pictures that I have of her on a birding trip.

Lastly, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PASS THIS JOURNAL ALONG!

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