Trees honor two leaders who left their mark on Avon Lake community

AVON LAKE — A pair of trees will stand as a reminder of two late Avon Lake leaders who dedicated their time and efforts to the community. Former City Councilman Gary Izo, 3rd Ward, and former Citizen Tree Commission member Russell Beck were memorialized in tree dedication ceremonies Sunday morning. Ceremonies were held outside the Old Firehouse Community Center, where Beck's memorial tree was planted, and outside the city's police, fire department and municipal court complex for Izo's tree. Izo died in November following an illness, and Beck died in January from natural causes, according to their obituaries. The tree dedicated for Beck is a sweet bay magnolia, chosen because it will thrive where it is planted and serve as a benefit to pollinators, said Councilwoman Jennifer Fenderbosch, 2nd Ward and Council representative to the tree commission. A 23-year member of the Citizen Tree Commission, Beck also taught biology science at Lakewood High School, where he was known for his knowledge of plants, trees and wildlife. He has also been remembered for working at the polls in Eastview School and the American Legion, as well as transporting Citizen Tree Commission members through the Avon Lake Memorial Day Parade in his green truck. Holly Kowalski, who served with Beck on the commission, remembered him as a great individual, but she said one particular memory of him stands out. At a time when there were two vacancies in the group and another member was out of town, Beck and the other commission members decided to take a field trip. "We put seven of us in my minivan and we took a tree tour of Avon Lake. It was outstanding," she said. For Izo, a white oak tree was dedicated in his honor — "He was solid as an oak," said Mayor Greg Zilka, adding that the tree will be a living tribute to him that will continue growing well into the future. "(Izo) was an incredibly enthusiastic person. He was so eager to serve the community," Zilka said. Sunday would have been Izo's 72nd birthday. His wife, Ann Seltzer, described him as a man of many interests who walked the entire 3rd Ward during his City Council campaign because of his desire to meet everyone. "He loved talking to people. He had an encyclopedia mind. He could talk any subject from architecture to the fuselage on a plane," she recalled. Izo previously served in the Peace Corps. He was involved in civic life before running for Council, including serving on the Towne Center Condo Board, Avon Lake Zoning Board of Appeals and Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee since moving to the city in 2015. Fenderbosch said that Izo formerly worked for the United States Department of Justice, making his tree's location near the municipal court even more meaningful. "I think that's so significant," she said. Several members of Izo's family gathered at Sunday's dedication ceremony, and several of his great-nieces and great-nephews helped spread mulch around the white oak tree during the presentation. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.