Features

Monuments and Memorials Around South Windsor

Nolan Hathorn, Staff Writer • November 14, 2025

The tall outstanding veterans monument at the beautiful Veterans Memorial Park.

Across South Windsor, numerous memorials pay tribute to individuals who have lost their lives and to those who have served the community and country with honor. Notable sites include the memorials at Veterans Memorial Park, Nevers Park, and the Major Michael Donnelly Land Preserve, each offering a meaningful place for reflection and remembrance.

Tree and plaque reading “Planted in Loving Memory of Nancy Morse by Her Family” (Nolan Hathorn)

Nevers Park

Nevers Park is a place for people to walk, jog, play, or just hang out on a bench or picnic table.

One of the often overlooked parts of the park though, are the memorial trees planted along the gravel trails.

The trees are planted in memory of individuals, and are donated by companies, clubs, or other individuals or family members.

Trees and plaques can be planted as a part of South Windsor’s Memorial Tree Program, where the town will plant the tree and supply a plaque, maintaining it as a town tree.
COVID-19 memorial at Major Michael Donnelly Land Preserve. (Nolan Hathorn)

Major Michael Donnelly Land Preserve

The most recently installed monument in South Windsor lies in the Major Michael Donnelly Land Preserve.

It serves as a memorial to the 79 people in the South Windsor community who were lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The memorial, which is located near the Sullivan Avenue entrance of the land preserve, was unveiled recently in 2023.

The monument contains two benches to reflect and watch over the forest, on top of a heart shaped layer of bricks.

Above the brick heart, there is a stone that reads “In remembrance of the South Windsor community’s strength in supporting one another without being able to be together. The lives that were lost and otherwise impacted will never be forgotten.”

Nearby, there is a flagpole commemorating the life of Major Michael Donnelly, who served during the Gulf War, and tragically passed away in 2005 after a battle with ALS.

The park is preserved in honor of his memory.
The tall outstanding veterans monument at the beautiful Veterans Memorial Park. (Nolan Hathorn)

Veteran’s Memorial Park

Veteran’s Memorial Park is a popular place to go swimming and spend time with friends and family in the summer, but it also hosts the largest monument for veterans in South Windsor.

Located just outside of the pool, the centerpiece of the memorial is a large pillar with a plaque that reads “In honor of all South Windsor veterans, dedicated to the glory of almighty God in memory of South Windsor men and women who by their unselfish patriotism have advanced the ideals of liberty and the universal brotherhood of man.”

To the left and right of the center pillar, there are smaller stones with plaques remembering the South Windsor veterans who passed while serving in World War 1, World War 2, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

While the monument has been around for years, the South Windsor Patriotic Commission received a $75,000 grant from the state of Connecticut in 2014 for improvements to the monument, although much of the project was privately funded.

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About the Contributor

Nolan Hathorn, Staff Writer

Nolan Hathorn is a senior at South Windsor High School and first year staff writer for The Bobcat Prowl. He is a part of the cross country team, hockey team, and track and field team. During his free time, Nolan enjoys exercising, as well as spending time with friends and family. In the future, Nolan hopes to study business in college.