Hillary Temple
Former Watertown resident Dorothy Noke presented Police Chief Edward Deveau with a painting and plaque in honor of the Police Department’s actions during the events of April 19, 2013.
The actions of Watertown’s first responders when they stopped the Boston Marathon Bombing suspects moved a former Watertown resident so much she had to capture it in art.
During the Tuesday, June 24 Town Council meeting, Hillary Temple and her mother Dorothy Noke, 85, presented the council and Police Chief Edward Deveau with a brass plaque and painting done by Noke to be given to the Town of Watertown.
Noke grew up on Walnut Street with her sister, and decided to make the painting after the tragic events that led to the capture of alleged Boston Marathon bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
“I was born and raised in Watertown and right near where the incident happened was Underwoods and we used to slide down the hill during the winter into Underwoods parking lot and I didn’t realize how much that whole thing affected me,” said Noke. “It brought back memories of my old childhood which was really nice, but anyways, so I have this piece of art and I’d like to leave it here in Watertown to say thank you for everything, that the police and the firemen and the people and everything affected me and how much I appreciate what was done.”
Her oil painting “Boston Strong” has a plaque on it that reads, “Boston Strong in honor of those who were affected and those who protected (thank you very much) God Bless April 15, 2013.”
However, it also came with a brass plaque that reads: “For the Watertown heroes in memory of my husband Theodore Noke and sister Barbara Nelson who lived and worked in Watertown most of their lives from Dorothy Noke, artist, and the Temple and Noke family.”
According to Noke’s daughter, Hillary Temple, the donation meant a lot to her mother, who now lives in Framingham, because her husband owned Mt. Auburn Press on School Street, which burned down 25 years ago and her sister raised her family in Watertown until a few years ago. Mrs. Nelson passed away in February of this year.
Temple believes that Police Chief Deveau greatly appreciated the donation.
“We actually talked to the police chief beforehand and he seemed to really appreciate it that it was being donated by Dorothy for everything they did.”
Town Council President Mark Sideris thanked Noke for her donation.
“Let me say on behalf of the Town Council, and the people of the city known as Watertown, thank you very much for your donation,” said Sideris.
Temple and Noke hope to donate another copy of her painting to the city of Boston in the near future. She is currently selling her collection at bostonstrongart.com, where all the proceeds go to One Fund Boston.