Rosaryville State Park
April 22, 2012
Program
Welcome
Ranger Patrick Bright, Jr., Manager, Southern Maryland
Recreational Complex
Introduction of Master Plan for Fred Eskew Area
Ranger Nita Settina
Superintendent, Maryland Park Service
Click here to read remarks.
Reflections on Fred
Secretary John Griffin
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Click here to read remarks.
Memorial Planting of Native Grasses and Trees
The Memorial Plaque
This area of Rosaryville State
Park
is dedicated in honor and memory of
FREDERICK LEE ESKEW
(April 22, 1938 - April 29, 1986)
A graduate of the University of Maryland, School of
Recreation and Parks, Fred Eskew dedicated 25 years to
recreation and land preservation in Maryland, serving with
the Prince George’s County Department of Recreation, the
Charles County Department of Parks and Recreation, and the
Maryland Department of Forests and Parks. Mr. Eskew was
ultimately appointed as the Director of Program Open Space
(POS), Assistant Secretary of the Maryland Department of
Natural Resources, and the Governor’s State Outdoor
Recreation Liaison Officer.
Through his work with POS, Fred Eskew graced us with his
unique legacy. Beginning in 1970, he guided the program with
grit and determination to become the premier protector of
public park and natural resources land in Maryland. The POS
program has assisted and enhanced every local park system in
Maryland and added many thousands of acres of protected land
to State Parks, State Forests, and Wildlife Management
Areas. His vision and vital work with POS made it a national
model in open space preservation and contributed
significantly to the scenic natural beauty and quality of
life that all Marylanders enjoy today and which will
continue to enrich their lives for many generations to come.
"Maryland is America the beautiful."
-
Frederick Lee Eskew
Acknowledgements
The Eskew family and the Department of Natural Resources is grateful
to the Park and Resources Conservation Foundation for its donation
of a beautiful bronze memorial plaque for Fred L. Eskew’s
dedication. DNR wishes to acknowledge the Park and Resources
Conservation Foundation’s members and friends that personally
contributed to make this donation possible: Offutt Johnson, Jim
Mallow, Richard Stevenson, Chip Price, Barry Mangum, C. Eugene
Mason, Edward Heath, Gilbert L. Kingsbury, Ken Alban and John
Hewitt. We are also grateful to the Rosaryville Conservancy,
Pineapple Alley Catering, and the Maryland Conservation Corps for
their vital assistance in making this day possible.
Photo of Ranger Patrick Bright, Jr., courtesy of Roberta Dorsch
Click here for more information and directions to
Rosaryville State Park.
Back to Feature Stories
