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Family time: (back row) Jim Burdick, Aidan Hoskow, Julie Hoskow, Max Page and
Jason Page; (front row) Sarah Page, Andrea Page, Judy Burdick, Sydney Page
and Shayne Hoskow.

On The Riverfront

Conservancy dedicates butterfly garden
in memory of its champion, David Page.

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Stacy Gittleman | Contributing Writer

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I

n a spot teeming with flowers
along the Detroit River just east of
the bridge to Belle Isle, the Detroit
Riverfront Conservancy on June 10
dedicated an already-existing butterfly
garden in Gabriel Richard Park to the
memory of David K. Page, a man largely
responsible for the transformation of the
Detroit riverfront from a barren industri-
al wasteland to the welcoming landscape
it is today.
A garden attracting a creature that
transforms itself over time into a beauti-
ful winged creature is perhaps the best
way to memorialize the attorney and
philanthropist, who passed away in 2014
at age 80.
Page left behind a legacy of volunteer
and leadership roles in many Jewish and
secular nonprofit organizations. His wife,
Andrea Page of Birmingham, said that
out of all his volunteer endeavors, the
one that gave him the most satisfaction
was his work as a founding member and
funder of the Riverfront Conservancy.
And he watched the riverfront blossom
from the 22nd floor of the law offices of
Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn
LLP, where he was a partner.
Andrea Page said the understated
nature of the butterfly garden suitably
fit her late husband’s demeanor. She
described her husband as a “pragmatic
dreamer.” From the very beginning of the
conservancy, she said David made sure it
was funded with just the right combina-
tion of public and private contributions
to maintain it for generations to come.
“David did more in his years than
most of us do,” Page said. “The most
beautiful legacy he left to all of us is the
work he did along the Detroit River. He
saw the capacity it had to regenerate and
renew the life of this city. In my hus-
band’s memory, I invite all to come down

and enjoy this gem, our city’s riverfront.”
The Riverfront Conservancy started
in 2003 with a $50 million Kresge
Foundation grant. It was the largest sum
of money ever given by the founda-
tion, where Page was serving as a board
member at the time. From there, the
Conservancy continued to raise funds to
develop parks and green spaces along the
5.5-mile stretch of the river between the
Ambassador Bridge and Gabriel Richard
Park near Belle Isle.
The Riverfront projects continue to
grow, with this spring’s completion of the
1.35-mile Dequindre Cut greenway to
Eastern Market.
“We started to look at how we could
best make a major difference in the city
beyond our sustaining contributions,”
Page said in a JN profile story (March
23, 2012) that highlighted his numerous
community leadership roles, including
presidencies at both Temple Beth El in
Bloomfield Township and the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
“Ten years ago, our riverfront was bro-
ken sidewalks and streets, cement silos
spewing dust, vacated industrial build-
ings,” he recalled. “Now, on a nice spring
or summer day, you see nice parks and
walkways with people biking, walking
and fishing with their kids.”
The butterfly garden, Page’s brain-
child, contains winding paths that allow
visitors to closely observe the plants and
flowers that attracts butterflies, birds and
other creatures.
“This spot was one of David’s favorite
places along the riverfront,” said Marc
Pasco, Riverfront Conservancy direc-
tor of communications. “He believed
in universally giving back to Detroit,
and his dedication to the Riverfront
Conservancy is just one place where his
presence is sorely missed.”

*

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