In Memory of Riv Winant
February 3, 2011 – Rivington Winant, generous donor of Winant Park in Concord, passed away on February 3rd, 2011. Five Rivers Board Chairman Mark Zankel reflects on the passing of a friend.
I first met Riv Winant in June of 2006, when he and his wife Joan paid a visit to Concord. Amongst my handwritten notes from that meeting were the following: “Wants to honor his late father – NH Gov. John Winant – by donating the remainder of his family land in Concord for a new city park… Rivington says there were terrific views from the hilltop when he grew up… Would be a nice place for people to hike around. This is important to him!” Three years later, Riv’s vision became a reality with the opening of the 85-acre Winant Park.
Like most of our conservation projects, this one demanded hard work and persistence by many individuals including representatives from the City of Concord, St. Paul’s Academy, and Five Rivers Conservation Trust. But at the heart of the whole effort was Riv. Through many ups and downs, including several tenuous moments where it seemed like everything might fall apart, Riv stayed the course.
He struck me as a kind and gentle man, a great storyteller who liked to laugh and harbored a deep appreciation for 20th century American history. But Riv also knew, and Joan reminded us, that time and health were not on his side. He wasn’t afraid to push us to get the project done.
On a sunny June 24, 2009, with final construction of the entry kiosk and parking area having been completed in the absolute nick of time, Winant Park was formally dedicated with a smiling Rivington Winant looking on. And what a glorious park it is, a fitting tribute for Governor John Gilbert Winant and his wife Constance. When I spoke to Joan Winant recently, to share our sincere condolences, she said that the creation of Winant Park gave Riv tremendous joy and happiness in his final years. And that is fitting. You know, ultimately, the fate of land comes down to individuals. I am thankful that Winant Park was in the hands of Rivington Winant, and that in endeavoring to memorialize his father, Riv also created a lasting conservation legacy of his own.
