Hoyt Family Makes Homecoming Trip To Commack Farm Bearing Memorial Plaques

COMMACK, NY — Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve welcomed Tom and Mitch Stokes, the sons of Barbara Hoyt Stokes, as they delivered fieldstones adorned with memorial plaques honoring the legacies of their mother and Aunt, Rosalie Chase Hoyt, the Town of Smithtown announced.

Tom and Mitch Stokes drove from Massachusetts on June 1 towing a utility trailer containing large fieldstones embedded with bronze plaques to pay homage to their mother and aunt.

"We are incredibly grateful to Tom and Mitch Stokes for their generosity, keeping the memory of their mother and aunt alive and for remaining involved in the Nature Preserve's mission," Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim said in a news release. "Hoyt Farm is a wonderful refuge to build memories with family, to learn about our history, our natural habitat and the creatures we share our home with. Having the blessings of the Hoyt Family and witnessing their appreciation for the good work that the Nature Preserve team does daily there, means the world to the Town of Smithtown. We look forward to keeping our promise to the Hoyts, and future family generations for years to come."

The stones were installed by Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve’s staff: Director Jeff Gumin; Park Interpretive Specialist at Hoyt Farm Sheryl Brook; Kate Murphy and Dominick Guadio in the memorial garden for Barbara that is next to the nature museum.

"Installing the plaques with the staff was a memorable experience for Mitch and me," Tom said. "The creation of the Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve and the way its mission has been carried out over the years has inspired my life-long work as an environmental advocate. I have always appreciated the town’s commitment to the preservation of this unique place and the dedication, inspiration and leadership of the staff, especially that of the current crew. Along with our siblings and our St. John and Hoyt cousins, we thank Jeff, Sheryl, Kate and Dominick for their ongoing stewardship of Hoyt Farm."

Barbara and Rosalie grew up on Hoyt Farm, with their siblings, Nancy Hoyt St. John and Edwin C. Hoyt Jr. Their parents, Edwin C. Hoyt Sr. and Maria Louisa Hoyt, purchased the farm in 1910 and operated it as a commercial orchard through WWII and later, on a more modest scale, through the 1950s.

"The Hoyt Family created a vision for this park many years ago and we take great pride in fulfilling it," said Gumin and Brook in a joint statement. "Hoyt Farm is a special gem tucked in-between big highways and suburban homes. To be able to nurture wildlife, educate the public, and promote conservation efforts in such a busy world is a dream for us all. We are truly honored to be the caretakers of Hoyt Farm and to be able to carry on the legacy of the Hoyt Family."

The inscriptions on the plaques read: "In memory of Barbara Hoyt Stokes, 1912-1965. An artist and lifelong student of nature, she loved these woods and sought to protect them." and “"n memory of Rosalie Chase Hoyt, 1914-2006, Physicist, Teacher, Environmentalist."

"The family is especially grateful to the farm staff for their dedication to educating and inspiring a love of nature in the next generation," Mitch Stokes said.