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Last Saturday would have been Linda Weiner's 51st birthday.
But instead of gathering to celebrate her birthday, Weiner's friends and family gathered in Bethesda to dedicate a new trailhead on the Capital Crescent Trail in her memory.
Linda Weiner used the trail for walking, rollerblading and family outings, he said.
After meeting with county officials, the Weiner family raised $90,000 through private donations for the memorial at the trailhead near Bethesda and Woodmont avenues. Construction was organized by the Montgomery County Department of Parks, which also donated $10,000, according to Kelli Holsendolph, a spokeswoman for the department.
The new trailhead, which includes a fountain, a drinking area for dogs, a set of granite pavers, a planter and a headstone honoring Weiner, was unveiled Saturday to a crowd of Weiner's family and friends.
Linda Weiner "defined a loving mother, teacher," her friend Marsha Pinson said during the dedication ceremony. She never forgot to send flowers and a note to Pinson's family on the anniversary of Pinson's husband's death, she said. Pinson also recalled how Weiner used her operations as lessons on "grace under fire" for her students.
For Pinson, the trail, and the living nature of the memorial with its planter and large tree, was the perfect way to honor Weiner's memory. "For Linda [the memorial] would have to be a living thing," said Pinson. "She loved the trail because it was a place for family or friends."
Linda Weiner "cherished life in a way most people talk about, but rarely do," Lee Weiner said. He remembered how her caring nature affected those around her. "Linda was a very special person who touched a lot of lives, especially her students," he said at the dedication.
Tina Small of Bethesda came to the memorial to honor a woman who was the "kindest, warmest both inside and out. Small, who has one son who was friends with Weiner's son and another son who was Weiner's student, said the two women used to speak to each other three times a day.
"I can come here now to talk to Linda," Small said. "It's a great thing."
Bob Shanks, of Washington, D.C., also has a son who was friendly with Linda Weiner's son. Weiner was like a second mother Shanks said. She "loved them all dearly."
Pinson closed her remarks by urging all those who attended the ceremony or who might use the trailhead in the future to learn from Weiner's life. "Do not just smile as you think of Linda, smile at the person you see next," she said.
