Fifth Annual Butterfly Release Offering a Sacred Space to Remember Loved Ones

By Rosemary Shire,
The Garden Club of Westfield

On a late summer evening, participants in grief support groups at Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss, gathered alongside friends of Fairview Cemetery in their beautiful memorial garden for a Butterfly Release. This has become an annual tradition, and many look forward to this opportunity to mourn and remember in community.

Imagine’s Newark Clinical Program Director, Indira Jagoo, welcomed the nearly 80 children and adults attending, then Fairview’s Assistant Director, Sharon Rossman, shared insights into the garden’s purpose — to serve as an intentional, peaceful sanctuary for reflection, meditation, and remembrance.

Surrounded by vibrant blooms, lush trees, and gentle fountains, attendees were invited to share stories of the person they were honoring or reflect openheartedly on their grief journeys. Following a poetry reading and music, each participant received an individual butterfly enfolded in paper. Guests were invited to whisper a private message to their person before releasing their butterflies into the garden together.

The evening ended with a moment of silence, a song and a heartfelt expression of gratitude to Sharon Rossman and her husband, Richard Ralph, Fairview’s Executive Director. Sharon and Rick — who initiated this meaningful annual tradition — recently retired and marked the transition by releasing a large flutter of butterflies to close the evening.

Fairview Cemetery’s incoming leadership team has committed to carrying the tradition forward in partnership with Imagine, ensuring that grieving families continue to have opportunities to gather, mourn, and remember together for years to come.

“We are deeply grateful for our ongoing partnership with Fairview Cemetery and the continued growth of this event,” said Indira Jagoo, Newark Clinical Program Director at Imagine. “Providing intentional spaces where families can honor their loved ones alongside peers who understand their pain is central to our mission of ensuring that no one grieves alone.”