Copyright berkshireeagle
LENOX — When a group of decades-long friends set out to raise $25,000 for an endowment in memory of their friend Susan Lockwood, they acknowledged they faced a daunting task. They formed the Richmond Girls Committee to honor Lockwood, and eight months of persistent fundraising later, they’ve raised nearly $27,000. Lockwood, 66, disappeared hiking on Lenox Mountain in October 2023. Her remains were found in February 2024. The circumstances of her death remain undetermined. A bench with Lockwood’s name has been installed at Yokun Seat on Lenox Mountain. The rest of the funds raised will go toward an endowment for Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. The funds will provide reliable income for the nonprofit and help pay for trail remediation, educational programs and offering access to nature for all ages, said Cara Vermeulen, associate director of development at Mass Audubon. Peg Malumphy, committee member, said she and her fellow committee members have been friends for 60 years. So, in terms of the fundraising, “It’s really hard to say no to a bunch of 'old ladies',” she said. SOLEMN CELEBRATION Sunday afternoon, the committee held a celebration in honor of Lockwood and the installation of the bench. About 30 people, along with others on Zoom, attended, including friends, donors and Lockwood’s husband, Dan Davison, and their son, Silas. “I’m just overwhelmed with relief and pure joy that we could get friends and family together and celebrate that,” Malumphy said. The fundraising friends include Malumphy, Sally Chavarry, Terrill Ploss, Becky Sherer, Robin Ratcliff, Melanie Masdea-Dignum and Mary Talbot. Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary establishes a named endowment with a gift of $25,000 or more. The site for the bench was confirmed in mid-August, the committee hit its $25,000 goal on Labor Day, and the bench was installed last Thursday, Malumphy said. A plaque reads “In Celebration of Susan Daniels Lockwood.” “Clearly, the best view,” Vermeulen said of the bench’s location on the sanctuary’s 1,400 acres. “I grew up with the ethic of community, and it’s great that it’s still alive and well in Berkshire County,” Malumphy said. FEW ANSWERS Lockwood's abandoned car was found on Reservoir Road atop Lenox Mountain on Oct. 30, 2023. Lockwood was a retired nurse and avid hiker, her trip to the mountain that day proving to be her last. After Lockwood went missing, what became the Girls Committee gathered at the base of the mountain with a bottle of champagne to toast the universe and her spirit. Teams searched for months, unable to find a trace. The search resumed on Feb. 9, 2024, after a hiker’s dog, who was sniffing a trail, found a hiking boot with "evidence of human remains inside," according to a spokesman for the Berkshire District Attorney's Office. On Feb. 12, a trooper and his K-9 partner searched an area near the bottom of a cliff between Reservoir Road and Tanglewood and found clothing, personal items and Lockwood's remains, which were identified two days later. Investigators did not suspect foul play, but one year later, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Lockwood's cause of death remains undetermined. A CELEBRATION Sunday, people shared stories of Lockwood, who went by Sue. They shed tears, laughed, read poems and sang. Lockwood was described as passionate and caring. One person said that she was “my rock.” Masdea-Dignum said when Lockwood committed to something, she “gave everything she had.” Lockwood’s son Silas also spoke, telling a funny story about going to the grocery store with her. He said that he used to dread going to the store with his mother because a quick trip would turn into an hour and a half with her talking to people. He said that he is now grateful for that and for the impact she had on others. Malumphy said the committee has grown close this year and helped each other through family deaths and had positive moments like the birth of grandchildren and marriages. “This is something that we’ve had since we were little 6-year-olds running around and playing on the playground in Richmond,” she said. Lockwood was a humble person, Malumphy said, adding that she would probably be annoyed initially about the celebration. However, over time, Malumphy said, Lockwood would be thrilled because of how they appreciate her spirit. “If she were here, she’d be having the time of her life,” Malumphy said.
