Yoko Ono

On this day in 1985, Strawberry Fields, a two and ½ acre garden memorial in New York City's Central Park, was dedicated to the memory of John Lennon.

Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, came up with the idea for the park. She remembered how she and Lennon took strolls through that section of Central Park after they moved to the Dakota nearly ten years ago.
"It is our way of taking a sad song and making it better," said Ono.
Initially, the concept called for every nation to donate a remembrance to Strawberry Fields. Soon, Ms. Ono and the New York City Parks and Recreation Commission found themselves dealing with trees that couldn't grow in a northern climate.
A second request, along with tips about what would survive New York winters, brought 150 specimens from countries around the world; England sent an English Oak tree, Canada, a Maple tree.
There was one notable exception to the list of participating countries - the United States. Sadly, President Reagan White House never acknowledged the request.
The memorial park site was made possible by a $1 million donation from Ono to the city. It didn't cost taxpayers a dime.