People and Happenings Jim Storey Retires from Board of Trustees
People and Happenings Jim Storey Retires from Board of Trustees
By Lauren Marsh
Jim Storey , who has been a member of Mount Auburn Cemetery ’ s Board of Trustees for 32 years , officially retired from the Board this past December . Jim became a Mount Auburn Cemetery Trustee in 1979 , the last of those Trustees who inherited a “ family ” seat – he succeeded to the seat previously occupied by his father , Charles , since 1932 . During his tenure as a Trustee , Jim served as Board Secretary from 1984-2005 , and then as Board Chair from 2005-2009 . Taking up his father ’ s seat was his first introduction to the Cemetery and since then he has seen huge growth and radical changes at Mount Auburn . The era when the Board members treated the Cemetery as if it were their private home was replaced by a new commitment to outreach and education , and this landscape and its story have continued to evolve . The reason Jim stayed through so many decades is simple – he loved it here . He learned on the job what Mount Auburn was and what it did , and he found this to be very satisfying .
“ I ’ m very impressed by the continued efforts of the staff and interest by the Board in Mount Auburn , especially in its horticultural aspects . It seems to me that the current Board is carrying on the high standards of prior Boards , and plans for the future development and stewardship of this property are very exciting .”
Board Meetings are Jim ’ s fondest memories of Mount Auburn because he was so pleased and impressed by the unanimous natural cooperation and congeniality among the Board members . Jim also recalls the moment when Mount Auburn discovered what it meant to the surrounding community .
“ Mount Auburn changed forever when the Cambridge Historical Commission objected to our planning to replace the deteriorating cast iron fence on Mount Auburn Street with a chain link fence . Until then the Board thought that it alone , with no other interests in mind , could decide what we did around here . We found that we weren ’ t like any other private citizen as we thought we were , but a public institution , a community resource , and a national treasure . That surprised us and taught us that we had to look outside the gates . Then when Bill Clendaniel arrived he transformed our whole mindset and created this really wonderful outreach effort , establishing the Friends and successfully persuading the public that there is still room in the Cemetery . I am very impressed by Dave Barnett ’ s leadership . He has built on Bill Clendaniel ’ s foundation and , even in these times of economic stress , has expanded the Cemetery ’ s outreach and put in place an exciting blueprint for Mount Auburn ’ s future .”
“ I was very fortunate that Jim was Board Chair when I became President in 2008 ,” says Dave Barnett .“ He was incredibly supportive and did so much to make the transition very smooth for me . I enjoyed every minute I spent with him . When I think of Jim , I think of a true gentleman with a genuine smile who sincerely cares about his colleagues . Mount Auburn has benefited greatly from Jim ’ s many years of service , and we will miss his good-natured personality and wisdom .”
While his duties as a Mount Auburn Trustee have come to an end , Jim will continue to do what he has always done , practice law in the area of mutual funds .
Last year , we were fortunate enough to have a mating pair of Great Horned Owls that hatched a pair of owlets in a Honey Locust tree near the Dell . The owlets drew in large crowds of visitors who all wanted to catch a glimpse . Artist , naturalist , and educator Clare Walker Leslie , who has been birding and drawing at Mount Auburn for more than 30 years , captured the siblings from birth to maturity in her wonderful sketches .
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