Almost 100 residents, advocates, family, friends, city officials and state officials gathered on Wednesday Aug. 5th to dedicate the tennis courts at Weider Park on the Roslindale/Hyde Park line for Kim O’Connell.

O’Connell helped to found the Dale Street Neighborhood Crime Watch, that has, in its 30 years of existence, turned into a neighborhood association advocating for dozens of issues in and around the Sherrin Woods neighborhood of Roslindale and Hyde Park.

O’Connell passed away last year in April. Her husband Kevin spoke during the dedication. During his heartfelt thanks to those who came and the officials who helped to solidify her memory in the neighborhood, Kevin O’Connell appeared to feel Kim’s loss especially hard.

“We had plans,” he said. “But we had 48 wonderful years, so I can’t complain. I always said I’d be married once and done, she did too and we made it. All I can say is thanks.”

He said however that he was comforted that Kim’s legacy will go on.

“When I’m long gone, Kim’s name will always be there,” he said. “And her grandchildren will be able to tell their grandchildren about Kim, and what she did for the neighborhood. She loved her neighbors. She would do anything. If you moved in, Kim came over with a cake. That’s who she was.”

Kevin O’Connell ended by saying that they got too much food for the dedication and everybody needed to dig in.

“I can’t fit all this stuff in my fridge!” he said.

O’Connell’s partner in crime (watch) was always Beth Columbo. Columbo helped to found the Dale Street Neighborhood Crime Watch, and said O’Connell was always willing to help those in need.

“If she saw something that needed to be done, she would jump right in, and do it,” Columbo said. “She was a hard worker who loved her country and community, but most of all she loved her family and friends.”

Columbo said State Rep. Rob Consalvo introduced the bill to get the tennis courts named after Kim, and it was Consalvo and State Sen. Michael Rush who were able to get it done in the state legislature.

“Thank you so much for introducing the bill to dedicate this court to Kim, and seeing it through to the end,” she said. “To Kris and Taylor, Kim’s son and daughter-in-law, thank you for helping me to make this night memorable.”

Columbo said one of the Watch’s biggest accomplishments and one of O’Connell’s biggest efforts over the years was the property formerly known as 0 Dale St. The property was the last piece of privately-owned woods in the Sherrin Woods. The Sherrin Woods Urban Wild is a section of protected greenspace owned by the city, and through 30 years of advocacy, O’Connell, Columbo and scores of local residents were able to convince the city to purchase it and preserve it, along with the rest of Sherrin Woods, under the city’s Urban Wilds designation.

“One of her biggest realizations was to have the city buy the lot down the street to become part of Sherrin Woods,” she said. “It was something that took 30 years to come to fruition.”

Columbo said she knew O’Connell was enjoying the ceremony.

“To Kim, I know you’re looking down from Heaven smiling at your new court,” she said. “God bless you.”

O’Connell’s son Kris O’Connell said he was honored to be a part of the ceremony, and had O’Connell’s grandaughter Graciela knock out the first ceremonial serve on the court after the dedication.

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He also presented Consalvo with an award from the family and neighborhood for his work on the courts. “She was always looking out for other people, and I really really appreciate all you did for this today, and I wanted to present you an award as well,” Kris O’Connell said.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu spoke during the ceremony and said this court will help keep O’Connell’s memory alive.

“The names that we put up on special places matter. It’s the memories that trigger for all of you when you see this and keep her smiles and conversations and legacy alive,” she said. “I am very very lucky to be the “temporary” Mayor for the City of Boston, but we all know that in every neighborhood, there are the permanent Mayors of Boston who actually live there and they’re pushing for that street, that park, those woods and all of that. I, from the bottom of my heart, miss Mayor Kim O’Connell.”

Consalvo said he was honored to be a part of O’Connell’s story.

“Not only was I so honored to file the bill in the House, and I know you all know, but Kim was a civic giant in the city,” he said. “She loved her family, she loved the community of Roslindale with all her heart, she loved Weider Park, she loved these tennis courts, and she is the reason these tennis courts are here, because she fought to make sure the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) put these courts here. She and her sidekick Beth have been running the Dale Street Neighborhood Crime Watch for over 30 years. So in addition to being stewards of the park, the playground and the courts, Beth and Kim advocated for this neighborhood when I was a city councilor, to these city councilors, to past mayors, to former city councilor Michelle Wu! She had us all on speed dial.”

Rush said it was events like these that honor past advocates that help inspire those to come.

“It is an honor to be here and this is what it’s all about,” he said. “It’s about community, it’s about the beautiful greenspace we all count on to make our homes more livable, it’s about recreation, and this is a perfect example,” he said. “I want to thank Beth for all she’s done here on Kim’s behalf.”

District 5 City Councilor Enrique Pepén said O’Connell was the best kind of advocate, one who showed you where the issues were and what needed to be done about them.

“Since day one I was in office I was able to meet with Kim and Beth, the dynamic duo, and they made sure they held us accountable,” he said. “Whenever you’re in these types of positions as elected offices, you truly depend on neighbors to tell you what’s going on and what needs to be changed, and Kim embodied that. She really did have me on speed dial, and she called and texted every day. ‘Hey this street needs to be repaved,’ or ‘This stop sign is missing.’ And she was, along with Beth, instrumental in protecting the Sherrin Woods here.”

At-Large city Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune said it was both important to give folks their kudos while they’re here, but also to teach future generations what it means to be for the neighborhood.

“This is all about community and so often we don’t give people their flowers while they’re here, and it’s important to give people their flowers while they’re here and for our young kids to know that it’s regular everyday people who fight for community and make sure we have the resources we need and the public spaces that reflect the kind of city we want,” she said.

DCR Commissioner Nichole LaChapelle said it’s important to keep advocates’ legacies alive.

“It’s said that when we continue to say the name and share the stories of those we lost, we honor them and continue to allow their light to shine bright,” she said. “It is an honor to be here tonight to help all of you continue to honor Kim O’Connell with this naming.”