On March 6, 1973, a tragic fire occurred in a three-story building at 47 Park St. (now Clemente St) which claimed the life of Beatrice (Plouffe) Soucy. James McDermott, a first-term alderman and former professional boxer, led the movement to create a park at the site of the fire.
The Office of Community Development provided the $29,000 funding to acquire the land and pay for the play equipment. The Water Department donated the gravel needed for the park, which was dedicated to the memory of the fire victim and named Soucy Park on July 19, 1977.
A handball court was added in 1980. In 1998, the playground was renovated at a cost of $50,000. More recently, in 2017, the park was completely refurbished. The most recent improvements involved better lighting, walkways and space for public art.
Source of news articles: Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript-Telegram and the Springfield (Massachusetts) Daily News; publication dates are shown.
Color Photos Credit: Ana E. "Anabella" Cruz Nazario, Google.com/maps (2022)
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