For over forty years, John Sheild lovingly planted, tended, and harvested the beautiful vegetable gardens at the entrance of San Damiano Park, a quiet sanctuary he helped bring to life and generously shared with our community.
In 1981, John and his wife Jean settled into their Monona home. Shortly after, a neighbor, Len Riha, who had connections with the priests at what was then the San Damiano Friary, invited John to help start a garden on the property. The two became gardening partners and friends, working side-by-side until Len’s passing in 2019. From then on, John tended the garden alone.
To John, gardening was more than just planting and harvesting. It was spiritual work, a reminder of growth, responsibility, and gratitude. “Working in the garden felt like coming home,” he once said. “Gardening teaches the miracle of growth, the responsibility of work, and to never take anything for granted.”
John passed away in early 2025 at the age of 94, but his spirit of generosity, humility, and care lives on. The John Sheild Memorial Fund was originally established to support a future tribute in his honor, one that reflects the values he lived by and the life he gave so humbly to others.
This year, with the help of a group of committed volunteers, we are reactivating the gardens in John’s name, ensuring his legacy of growing fresh food on site continues for years to come. As John once said, “Everybody can do a little bit. And when you add little bits together, big things happen.”
That spirit is at the heart of this renewed effort. One volunteer approached us with a passion for dried beans and a desire to grow rare heirloom varieties in a portion of the garden plots. Another volunteer, who fondly remembers walking past the gardens each day while John tended them, felt inspired to help carry his vision forward through planting and care. Together, their shared love of gardening and the property is helping breathe new life into these spaces and continuing John’s lasting impact.
As John did, produce harvested in 2026 will be available for free on site as well as donated to St. Stephen’s Food Pantry in Monona.