HAMILTON, N.J. — To mark Arbor Day in April, and to acknowledge Hamilton’s designation as Tree City USA, two local families joined the township’s Mayor Kelly Yaede to dedicate memorial trees and plaques to their deceased loved ones.
For the 11th year, Hamilton has continued to enjoy its Tree City USA award from the Arbor Day Foundation partnering with US Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters. On Arbor Day this year, the families of the late Joey Angiolino (Joey’s Little Angels), and Navy Veteran, John Quinn, joined the celebration by planting redbud trees with memorial plaques in Sayen Park in Hamilton.
“Our ongoing commitment to protecting our local environment through the planting of shade trees and through other forestry efforts has helped our community retain the Tree City USA designation over the past decade; and there is no better opportunity than Arbor Day to celebrate this honor, ‘’ explains Yaede.
Tree City USA recognizes communities that demonstrate a commitment to urban forest management efforts such as having a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, and invest at least $2 per capita in community forestry efforts.
“I am also proud that we continue our longstanding memorial program, which allows residents the ability to purchase trees and plaques to honor the memories of their loved ones,” stated Yaede.
This complements the community’s ongoing forestry endeavors. The Angiolino and Quinn families who participated in the efforts this year felt Arbor Day was the opportune time to keep the memories of their late loved ones alive.
Joey’s father, James Angiolino, commented, “What a better way to celebrate Arbor Day than planting a tree in Hamilton where Joey and Joey’s Little Angels roots are!”
Quinn’s widow, Patricia said, “My son-in-law belongs to the Shade Tree Commission and so we came up with the idea to plant the tree and Arbor Day was a very good day for that.” She continued, “because of the tree being planted in the park, everyone will remember him and that’s very nice.”
Both families want the public to remember their loved ones even though Joey lived in Hamilton only seven months and was just about a year and three months old
when he died, and Quinn was a lifelong resident after serving in the Navy and died at 82 years old.
Joey died from a rare genetic disease called Hurler’s Syndrome in 2010. When he was seven months old his family moved to North Carolina to seek treatment for him at Duke Hospital, but even after a chord blood transplant, several tests and chemotherapy, the baby passed about seven months later.
Angiolino and his wife started a non-profit organization called Joey’s Little Angels (JLA) that has donated over $50,000 to Duke Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Family Support Program. The JLA also holds annual Toy Drives at Nottingham Ballroom during the holidays.
“Joey’s legacy continues and shows that good can come from a devastating loss; that his story continues to inspire others; it shows the importance of faith and hope and that motivation, perseverance and strength will continue to be our driving force,” stated Angiolino.
Reynolds Middle School and Steinert High School in Hamilton have planted weeping cherry trees in memory of Joey and Joey’s Little Angels.
On the other hand, Quinn will be remembered for other reasons. He was a Navy veteran who served in the Korean War. He belonged to the local VFW and American Legion in Hamilton, and he graduated from Drexel University. Quinn worked for New Jersey Department of Transportation as a civil engineer. He has been deceased since 2013.
In reference to planting the trees in Quinn’s memory on Arbor Day, his surviving widow said, “It’s very nice that the trees are planted that day and when they get big they give shade and people will enjoy that, especially in the park.”
In addition to Hamilton’s Planning Division leading the town’s efforts to plant new trees across the community, the Township and its volunteer Shade Tree Commission is currently seeking grants to conducts a community-wide street tree inventory to address the negative effects that Emerald Ash Borer beetles have on trees in the area. They hope to replace the trees that are dying as a result of these beetles.
For more information about Hamilton’s Shade Tree Commission, visit www.HamiltonNJ.com/trees.
Those who are interested in purchasing memorial trees and/or plaques displayed in Hamilton’s parks, you may visit www.HamiltonNJ.com/memorials.