Woodstock Early Bird was saddened to hear of the passing of Georgina Williamson this past week, a woman we knew throughout the years solely for her protection and defense of Woodstock’s Village Green.
Privately, she has always been known to WEB as “Our Lady of the Green”, a term of reverance for her headmistressly oversight of the park that sits across from her stately home. We shared that public space while walking our dogs, most recently her beloved Angus who she protected fiercely against the threatening onslaught of overly-friendly golden retrievers. Williamson always had a formal, yet inquisitive air as if she might be sniffing out a situation before moving into it.
If someone was walking a dog off-leash, if someone was not picking up waste, if town trucks were tearing into the grass and soil, if public events got out of hand, if trees were not being properly maintained, “Our Lady of the Green” would be on the phone to either the Village offices or the local newspaper to complain vehemently about the sullying of this valuable centerpiece of Woodstock Village. We loved her for that.
Williamson’s official obituaries in local media tell the formal story of her life, but we’ll remember this fiery redhead for her “tough love” when it came to the Green. We think she was on the right track and we hope that Village Trustees will not forget her work as they continue to approve more and more permits for public events on this special green space.
While historically New England greens have been public gathering spaces (or pasture for animals), let us not forget Georgina Williamson, “Our Lady of the Green”, and her tireless vigilance keeping
the place well-kept, peaceful and beautiful. From what we knew of her, she would appreciate that and flash one of the grandest, most charming smiles on the planet.
Julia Carlisle
Woodstock Early Bird 