local philanthropist and beautification advocate leaves behind legacy after passing
Dusty McGuire, neighborhood philanthropist, grasp gardener and original organizer of “Continue to keep Amarillo Attractive,” left powering a legacy of city beautification soon after her passing earlier this yr.
All through her lifetime, McGuire had been a longtime chief in the effort and hard work to beautify the city through recycling and encouraging Amarillo inhabitants to retain and beautify their attributes.
“She was a correct visionary, her want to improve our metropolis and our environment was definitely ahead of its time,” stated Anne Amerson, previous general public relations representative and close friend of Dusty McGuire. “Her legacy that definitely does live on in addition to the memories that she created and the life she touched, is her instilling in men and women the notion of caring about their surroundings and caring about becoming a lot more ecologically welcoming,”
From 1990 to 2015, McGuire served on the Chamber Civic Beautification Committee, in advance of McGuire was concerned in the “Don’t Mess With Texas” marketing campaign that she later on localized in 1989 and founded “Hold Amarillo Wonderful” a marketing campaign to beautify the town through mother nature and artwork.
New Japanese backyard garden unveiled at Amarillo Botanical Gardens
As a result of “Preserve Amarillo Attractive” McGuire prepared the metropolis large Recycling Days, and established chipper shredder cites twice a 12 months from 1995 to 2010 as an work to cleanse up our town, and teach individuals to turn out to be additional environmentally responsible.
“She was a learn gardener… she had a method, in the tumble, referred to as ‘Don’t Bag It’ where she encouraged individuals when they rake their leaves, to not toss them absent. She taught men and women how to begin a mulch or compost pile and retain them to use as a topsoil in your backyard garden to preserve the water since we dwell in these types of a drought prone area,” explained Amerson.
In 1993, McGuire was regarded as the Amarillo World-Information Lady of the year for her contributions to the town, community, natural environment and commitment to beautification.
McGuire also coordinated the Nights and Lights in the Park each year for the duration of Christmas from 2000 to 2010. It was held at John Stiff Memorial Park as a part of her mission.
The “Hold Amarillo Lovely” founder advocated for the senior method in Elwood Park and was in a position to have park benches, going for walks locations and work out devices mounted in the park for seniors to make the most of as properly as numerous tree plantings.
McGuire often structured tree plantings and other vegetation installments all through the town as a aspect of her effort to beautify Amarillo.
The beatification activist labored with city leaders to boost our town parks and educate kids about the benefit of recycling and composting to reduce squander.
“I think most importantly she did a large amount of educating, and she experienced a lot of instructional substance that she handed out to kids and really everybody… I think her affect from the academic benefit that she shared was her best accomplishment,” said Greg Lusk, Executive Director for Amarillo Botanical Gardens.
Through her daily life, McGuire was a prolonged-time contributor to the Amarillo Botanical Gardens, and it was her love for Oriental-type gardening and décor that led to her donation of a Japanese Back garden to the Amarillo Botanical Gardens in 2018.
“She was generally on the news all the time she was a big advocate for beautification of the city, so I always observed her at a park or discussing recycling as a part of “Preserve Amarillo Stunning”… she truly considered that it was significant to choose motion to make your surroundings a greater location for the neighborhood,” stated Lusk.
As earlier noted by the Globe-Information, the Japanese back garden, donated by the Dick and Dusty McGuire Have faith in for an undisclosed sum, was very similar to the one particular found in the yard of the couples’ home.
It was made and planted by Billy Krause, owner of Krause Landscape Contractors, and longtime friend of McGuire West Texas Roofing provided the roofing supplies and Ted Lemasters delivered the now iconic red hue seen throughout the donated garden. Some goods were being in the initial Japanese Backyard and gifted to the McGuire back garden by Don Reid. McGuire’s Japanese Backyard garden contains a tea property, two torii gates, rock waterfalls, a recirculating pond with koi and goldfish, several statues and normal vegetation.
McGuire died at her residence, Jan. 28 2021. In her passing she followed her husband Dick McGuire who experienced handed in 2002. The couple leaves behind no little ones other than people individuals whose lives have been touched all over the a long time.
“Her philanthropic spirit will stay on by way of her quite a few interests and guidance in the course of the Amarillo location.” claimed Lusk. “I think her information just helps us to identify that we share this metropolis and we are all a element of it, and we will need to leave it a improved location and make it a much better spot for every single other and ourselves,”