MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. - “Where there is hatred, let me sow love.”
That line from the Prayer of Saint Francis -- known for his deep attachment to nature and commitment to service to the poor -- is a clarion call for counteracting negative emotions with positive actions.
It also certainly could have been the motto of the late Wilfred Jennings, a quiet and humble Mount Kisco man who mentored hundreds of youngsters at the Boys & Girls Club (then called the Boys Club) in the 1960s and 1970s.
For a Black man living at a time of widespread and systemic racism, that love he showed children -- regardless of race -- was a gift folks say they’ve gratefully and proudly carried forward in life.
Jennings’s generosity of spirit was especially remarkable, they recall, in light of his having suffered the tragic loss of his 12-year-old son, Wilfred Alexander (Alex), in a drowning accident.
Because of having received such selfless guidance and protection, many of them considered him to be a second father.
It was apropos then that those seeds of compassion and understanding Jennings planted so long ago have since bloomed into a memorial garden that its creators hope will serve as a place of peaceful reflection and renewal.
Jennings passed away in 1995 at the age of 75.
Located on a grassy patch between Gatto and Lieto Drives off Lexington Avenue, and containing a plaque, flagpole, gravel walkway, and flower beds, it was formally dedicated on a recent rainy Saturday morning as part of the village’s 150th birthday celebrations.
Planted on a slight slope above the garden are small boulders spelling out the words “Mr. J,” as Jennings was fondly known. Nearby runs a small stream wreathed with wild iris.
(Jennings was a U.S. Marine who had served during WWII and the Korean War. Afterwards, he worked for the draft board and then for the U.S. Postal Service.)
With the support of the village, money for the project was raised by a committee through corporate sponsors and individual donations.
Committee members and cousins Luke Scala and Robert “Bobby” D’Agostino, both spoke at the May 31 ceremony, which was attended by Jennings’ daughters Audrey Albert and Karen Richardson and a large contingent of Jennings family members, some of whom had come from as far away as North Carolina and Maryland.
Giving the blessing was the Rev. Malcolm M. Hudson Jr., pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church. Planting the first flowers were two little girls from the club, sisters Paris and Peyton Lessane.
Leading the Pledge of Allegiance were members of Rivertown Young Marines.
Local dignitaries in attendance included Mayor J. Michael Cindrich, Deputy Mayor Theresa Flora, Village Board members Angie Guerra-Garcia, Karen Schleimer, and Tom Luzio; and state Assemblymember Chris Burdick.
Also present to share thoughts and personal memories were retired coach and athletic director Gerard “Rod” Mergardt, Barbara Cutri, a member of the club who eventually became its director of operations; Lucian Caldara of the Rivertown Young Marines, and others.
Cindrich, who had not grown up in Mount Kisco, nevertheless heard many stories about Jennings, who had been a guiding light for both his wife, Linda, when she was young and a member of the club, and eventually their children.
Linda Cindrich presented the Jennings with a portrait she had made of the honoree.
"Linda’s father died relatively young and the Boys & Girls Club was their home away from home. Her mother worked two jobs to provide for her five children. On several occasions, their caring mother would be late to pick up the children at the club and who came to the rescue? Mr. Will Jennings. He would drive the kids home when their mother was late,” the mayor recalled.
“So when you talk about compassion, caring, and thoughtfulness, you’re talking about Will Jennings,” the mayor added, thanking his family for “sharing him with us.”
Richardson said her father was a “kind and gentle man” who “did not sit down and lose his thunder or mourn after his son passed away. He put that energy into helping young people and into changing other people’s lives.”
Jennings’s favorite hymn – one that was quoted frequently in the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr’s sermons and speeches – was “If I Can Help Someone Along the Way, My Living Will Not Have Been in Vain.”
“This garden is proof that his living was not in vain. This garden shows the character, not only his character, but the character of this town and the people in it,” Richardson said, adding that she prayed “it will continue to thrive for many years.”
Creating the garden was “the right thing to do,” said Burdick before presenting Jennings’s family with a citation from the state.
“We just admire what Mr. J has done in his quiet and humble way and for the compassion and love in his heart,” he added.
Saying he was honored to have served on the committee, Scala expressed deep gratitude for “Mr. J” and the lifelong friends he’d made at the Boys Club.
“He was an amazing man. Hate does not belong in your heart; it’s an anchor on your heart, it holds you back. I think the one thing that Mr. Jennings taught me was to be childlike, to see the world with no hate.”
When you can get rid of hate, which is a learned behavior, “you’ll have a lot of room for love,” Scala said.
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