Pavilion dedicated to local business man’s honor at Copenhagen park

COPENHAGEN, New York (WWNY) - If you have driven through Copenhagen lately, you may have noticed a new pavilion by the bridge.

It’s part of the Ted Simmons Riverside Memorial Park, commemorated in memory of well known local business man Ted Simmons.

Sunday, the Simmons family, in partnership with Copenhagen CARES Collaborative, held a dedication for him. Dozens came to celebrate Simmons’ life and gathered in the center piece of the park.

The pavilion was designed and built by his family, kept up by what they call “a tree of life”.

Ted Simmons’ son, Scott, says the pavilion is not meant to only honor their father, but all of Copenhagen.

“It’s a memorial tree that we have to memorialize anybody in the town, in here, anyone in the surrounding area that wants to have something dedicated to them, so it’s our tree of life. This main tree structure holds up the entire building everything that’s here, our memories, our dreams, that you want to put up on the tree is here. This tree is for the community,” said Scott Simmons.

Simmons says he hopes the pavilion becomes a spot for people to gather. Anyone who wants a memorial carving on the tree can reach out to the Copenhagen CARES Collaborative directly.

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