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TRIBUTE TO ISABELLA M. CALLANAN 1928-2008

Isabella Callanan Isabella M. Callanan, founder and President of the Friends of the Muddy River, Inc. passed away on May 12 at New England Sinai, Tufts Medical Center.

Isabella was a graduate of Boston University, BA and MA History and Simmons College, MLS Library Science and worked at several academic and medical libraries in the Boston area.

She was the loving mother of Laura R. Callanan of Pittsburgh, PA and the late Charles Zimmerman, mother in law of Carey Zimmerman and grandmother of Emma Zimmerman, both of Upton, MA, sister of Audrey Porter and the late David Porter.

When Isabella walked her dog along the Muddy River, she noticed conditions in the park that led her to form the Friends of the Muddy River in 1980. Vandals had rolled large cylindrical concrete trash containers into the river near the Longwood bridge. Her major accomplishment that first year was to have a team of Army engineers from Fort Devens wearing wet suits and using heavy equipment remove these trash containers from the river. This was the beginning of 28 years of her support for the Muddy River and its park lands, which included tree plantings and mulching, storm drain stenciling, cleanups, bridge restorations, water testing, and the restoration of the river.

Isabella was an active member in the community of Brookline, where she had served as a Town meeting member. For many years, she had proposed down zoning of the “industrial island”, a business area across from the Muddy River at Brookline Avenue and Route 9 as a way to protect the area near the river from future development. Even though she was a long time resident of Brookline, she did not limit her advocacy to the town’s boundaries. She helped to form MRAG (Muddy River Action Group) with officials from Brookline, Boston, local institutions and park friends groups. Later she participated in the work of creating an Emerald Necklace Conservancy and was appointed to their Overseers Committee. She was also a member of the Emerald Necklace Citizens Advisory Committee. A Boston Globe article by Andreae Downs (May 25, 2008 p. 8 City Weekly) stated that “Isabella Callanan…fought for the entire park’s renewal.”

Isabella believed that everyone should enjoy the park. With that in mind, she organized bird walks and mushroom walks by Dr. Milton Landowne, and other events that included Morris dancers, Puppet Shows and story telling. The Riverway Concerts were established in the 1985 and since then there have been outdoor concerts each year (Her favorite was the U.S. Navy Show Band concerts). A memorial concert in honor of Isabella is planned for later in Spring 2009.

The Muddy River has lost one its best friends.

Another tribute to Isabella Callanan by Betsy Shure Gross can be found by clicking here.