LIVERMORE FALLS – Selectmen voted unanimously Monday night to rename Union Park the Geneva Hodgkins Memorial Park in memory of the woman who painstakingly took care of it.

The 83-year-old Hodgkins died unexpectedly Friday at a Portland hospital.

The Livermore Falls woman adopted the park at the corner of Union, Church and Main streets as part of an Adopt-A-Spot program five years ago.

It was quite a mess when she started taking care of it, Hodgkins told the Sun Journal in 2006.

She went out and got donations to help make the park a gateway to town.

She even created what she called Geneva’s Garden, a raised flower bed, out of landscape stones.

Hodgkins added flowers, a bird bath, more trees and had the flagpole sandblasted and painted and a yard arm added.

Hodgkins had plans back then and continued to make improvements.

It was a special place for her since she visited it as a child and played for hours.

“It was a challenge to get it back to its old self,” she said in 2006. “I wanted a place for people to come and sit and enjoy the flowers and stuff going on in town. When I go by and see people sitting there I just flutter with joy,” she had said.

Hodgkins added special touches during the holidays, including lit Christmas trees.

Select board Chairwoman Louise Chabot opened Monday’s selectmen’s meeting with a tribute to Hodgkins followed by a moment of silence.

“On behalf of the Board of Selectmen and the town of Livermore Falls, I wish to extend our sincere sympathy to the family of Geneva Hodgkins,” Chabot said, reading from a statement.

“The town was honored to dedicate our town report to Geneva this past year,” she said. “Geneva will be remembered for her successful efforts to improve the town by adopting Union Street Park as her personal project. She and members of her family worked very hard to beautify the park. Her success did not come easily, as some of her efforts were met with vandalism.”

“In spite of this, Geneva did not give up,” Chabot said. “I remember her coming to select board meetings to make sure that Town Manager Martin Puckett understood exactly what she wanted and needed for her park project.”

She was very adamant about what she needed and didn’t leave until she got it, Chabot said.

“Geneva’s legacy to the town is the success story of Union Park,” Chabot said. “We, as citizens, have the obligation to continue her work. Her determination and success proves the adage that ‘one person can make a difference.’ An even bigger success story would be to expand Geneva’s efforts and for Livermore falls citizens to come forth and adopt a street or section of town and continue the example set by Geneva.”

“Thank you, Geneva. You will be missed,” Chabot said.

Selectman Jackie Knight said Hodgkins’ son, William, and her granddaughter, Angela, would like to carry on and maintain the park as Geneva did.

Knight made the motion to rename the park.