Donors Build a Serenity Garden

Built in 1993, Kirkland Village is an award-winning campus with handsome residences, gracious central facilities, and beautiful landscaping all cohesively designed and constructed.  Yet, for the first nine years of its existence, one element was lacking for which both residents and staff longed: a secure, memory-enhancement garden for residents living with dementia.

The “instigators” for what is now the Kirkland Village Serenity Garden were an anonymous couple, Kirkland Village residents.  In 1996, they lost a beloved sister to Alzheimer’s.  They wanted a place of beauty and repose to commemorate her memory.  And they knew how great the need was for a secure space for residents experiencing memory loss to safely enjoy the beauty and benefits of being outdoors.

In 2002, they dedicated $50,000 to press forward with this vision, little knowing how their nine years of patience would be rewarded.

At that time a very special person, Dr. Kathryn Holland, was a new resident of the Kirkland Village Health Center.  A native of Hungary, Dr. Holland practiced internal medicine in Easton, Pa., until 1986, coming to Kirkland Village in 2002 at age 82.  She was “a lovely woman, an incredible person,” said Kirkland Village staff.  It was a privilege to know her.  Said her nephew, “I visited her at Kirkland Village and saw how content she was to be here.”

Deeply appreciating the loving care of our staff, in the last year of her life Dr. Holland quietly altered her Will to include Kirkland Village among her bequests.  Her major gift became a reality for us in 2004.

Dr. Holland’s memory lives on: in the Serenity Garden, which was completed in 2005; in our Fitness and Aquatic Center; and in our endowment fund.  The final portion of Dr. Holland’s gift was placed in the Kirkland Village Endowment Fund for charitable care to enable us to continue to fulfill our promise that no independent living resident who enters our community will ever have to leave the Presbyterian Senior Living family due to having outlived his or her resources.

“I know that she understood her bequest to you would be used in a kind and meaningful way,” said her nephew.  “Obviously you are living up to her desires.”

We thank and salute Dr. Holland.  A legacy like hers will live forever.  For information on how you can leave your legacy, please contact Rachel Osborn, Regional Director of Mission Support at (610) 691-4524 or via email.