The family of Bob Brennan celebrated his life at Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve in Arlington with a memorial bench dedication. Photo by Michael Smith.
Next time you’re at the Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve in Arlington, you’ll have a new place to sit and ponder, thanks to Bob Brennan.
Last Saturday, supporters of the nature preserve and Brennan’s family gathered to dedicate a memorial bench overlooking a pond, honoring a man who taught others to slow down and look around.
We all remembered Brennan as a quiet and generous man for whom the preserve was “his happy place,” as his daughter Paula Waters put it.
He passed away on May 13 of last year at age 86.
EXPLORER
Bob Brennan had visited and photographed the Sheri Capehart Nature Center since before it officially opened as a city park in 2013. Photo by Michael Smith.
Born in Missouri, Brennan moved with his family to DFW in the early 1970s and had a successful career in computer management and business, according to his obit.
In retirement, Brennan took up both photography and nature exploration and had photographed almost all of Arlington’s 105 city parks.
His favorite place to wander was a natural parcel that would become Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve. He walked its trails before the property had a name, when it was just a remnant of the Eastern Cross Timbers nestled within Arlington. He introduced the preserve to others as it started to take shape.
His daughter recalled how he would regularly hike the nearly 60 acres. He documented its evolution into Southwest Nature Preserve, later renamed for one if its champion — former city councilwoman Sheri Capehart.
PHOTOGRAHER
Brennan shared his beautiful photos with everyone.
His early images of the park dating back to 2007 show ponds before there was a boardwalk, widow skimmer dragonflies perched on reeds and monarch butterflies passing through. Brennan also documented the clearing of the previous owners’ homesite in 2013. Through Brennan’s camera lens, we see ranchland roads reclaimed by the woodlands.
Bob Brennan's image of a bridge at Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve has the feel of a vintage photo or painting. Courtesy of the Brennan family.
His photos have graced various publications, including Amy Martin's Wild DFW: Explore the Amazing Nature Around Dallas-Fort Worth.
Laura Capik, vice president of Friends of SCNP, observed his ongoing fascination for the landscape:
“When I would go to the preserve, I would find Bob, camera around his neck wandering the trails, always willing to stop and chat a while about his current finds.”
FRIEND OF THE PARK
Brennan embodied the kind of support that quietly helps sustain parks and preserves. He knew the place in detail and was a part of the community that loves it, including Friends of Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve.
For me, encountering him on the trails — often capturing butterflies and wildflowers or enjoying moments of wonder — was a joy in itself.
And so it made perfect sense for the preserve to honor his memory, along with that of his wife Bonnie Brennan, who preceded him in death.
Arlington Parks and Recreation Department used wood from a fallen tree to build a bench that they have installed at the South Pond. The bench is a fitting reminder of the North Texas woodlands, visible in those planks, from the heartwood to the bark.
A memorial marker offers a snapshot of nature photographer Bob Brennan. Photo by Michael Smith.
Friends of Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve and Arlington Parks and Rec together provided a marker with a photo of Brennan with notes about his lasting legacy of inspiration and appreciation for nature. That marker can be seen along the sidewalk leading to the boardwalk at the South Pond.
Brennan’s contribution to the preserve was his returning again and again to know its details and celebrate its big and small wonders in his photographs. Perhaps we could say that the woods, meadows and ponds became a part of him and his spirit lingers in everything that lives there.
Butterflies were a favorite subject of Bob Brennan. Courtesy of the Brennan family.
His daughter expressed a similar view. At the dedication, she told the group about recently walking up to the bluff. On the way back down, she said, a pair of butterflies seemed to follow them on the trail. It was as if Bob and Bonnie were present in that moment, still a part of that beloved place.
RELATED ARTICLES
Arlington nature preserve renamed for park's advocate
Arlington park named for visionary environmentalist
Arlington couple helped turn former nursery into nature park
Namesake of Molly Hollar Wildscape to be celebrated Saturday