Bruce Reynolds Garden

Bruce Reynolds Garden. Isham Park. , This garden honors the memory of Bruce Reynolds (1960-2001), a Port Authority Police Officer who sacrificed his life to save others on Sept. 11, 2001., Bruce Reynolds was the son of J.A. and Geri Reynolds. When he was 5 years old, the family moved from Pittsburgh, Penn., to Inwood, which was a predominantly Irish-American neighborhood. As one of the first African American families, the Reynoldses held an open house party for their first Christmas in New York where Bruce grew close to the Irish community., According to his parents, Bruce wanted to be a policeman from the age of 12. At that time, gangs wreaked havoc on Isham Park. J.A. Reynolds formed the Park Terrace West Gang with funding from the New York Department of Youth Services. The organization brought neighborhood youth together to restore the park, including this garden. Bruce worked here for hours learning about horticulture and enhancing the garden for his neighbors. In May of 1980, after attending the Fashion Institute of Technology, Bruce joined NYC Parks as an Urban Park Ranger. He brought his knowledge of science and his gregarious nature to the position., Bruce left NYC Parks in 1986 to join the Port Authority Police. In 1990 he met Marian McBride of County Donegal, Ireland and got married a year later. They had their first child in 1997 and their second in 2000., On September 11, he rushed from his post at the George Washington Bridge to the World Trace Center and was last seen helping a woman who had been seriously burned by jet fuel. On May 18, 2002, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, who served with Bruce in the Urban Park Rangers, formally dedicated this oasis as the Bruce Reynolds Garden., To honor his memory, the community uses this garden to teach local children about art and horticulture in an immersive environment. Bruce's Garden has provided generations with an enjoyable space to learn and have fun.