The trustees of the Vesper Hill Foundation want to acknowledge the passing of Sonny Goodwin on September 4; we are among the many who are feeling his absence very strongly.

Sonny contributed his time, thought and expertise to many areas of our community, and the Chapel is certainly one of them.

Sonny worked with Helene Bok, the founder of the Chapel, and he made the original drawings from which the Chapel was built. He also worked on the construction crew that built the building, and has been on the board since that time… over 50 years.

Whether the project was replacing rotten joists, re-shingling the roof, staining the walls (and ourselves) or sitting on his favorite stump at the monthly summer picnics/board meetings, Sonny was always in the middle of it all.

With an eye to the future well-being of the Chapel, Sonny recently spearheaded an effort to address safety concerns. These included setting up an emergency rebuilding fund, but more visibly the new, more-sturdy railings, making all the steps a uniform height and re-pointing the main foundation wall. He also designed the new wooden back-wall of the building that we put in last summer. He was determined to make it difficult for people to fall into the garden.

We think of him with great fondness and we will miss his sound advice and quiet sense of humor dearly. 

Gordon Bok and Carol Rohl, for the Vesper Hill Foundation Board of Directors