If you live on the east side of the city and have ever had a question about the trees on your street, chances are you had the pleasure of talking to Richard Nolan.

A forestry technician, Nolan started working with the city in 1983. He was a certified arborist, and people who knew him well describe him as a man tirelessly committed to Rochester's natural beauty. Most important, he seemed to know almost instinctively what tree-lined streets mean to residents --- how they shape our perceptions of the neighborhoods and communities we love.

Nolan died suddenly on Saturday, March 3, while snowshoeing in the Adirondacks. He was 51.

"He was just always out there on the street," says Mary Wells, former executive director for the Southeast Area Coalition. Wells worked with Nolan for more than 12 years on various neighborhood projects. "Every time there was a street reconstruction, he was out there inspecting every single tree. Richard always wanted to save every one of them, but sometimes he couldn't. But he could look at a street, the other trees on that street, and really enhance it with replacements. And sometimes he would just pull up in front of a house that had a space in the swale, knock on the door, and say, ‘Hi, you want a free tree in front of your house?' People just loved him."

Nolan was born in Washington, DC, but he grew up in Brookfield Center, Connecticut. He graduated from the University of West Virginia before moving to Rochester in 1979.

An outdoorsman, Nolan spent his spare time hiking, kayaking, backpacking, and climbing. He completed the rigorous Winter 46 Peaks climb of the Adirondacks in 1990, and he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Co-worker Peter Saxe with the city's NET offices, says Nolan was also a humanitarian, often devoting his vacations and personal time to the critical needs of others.

"He went to New Orleans to help victims of Katrina gut homes and repair their lives, and he went to Uganda to help folks suffering from AIDS," says Saxe. "People were drawn to him because they saw that he was a humble man who just wanted to help."

Nolan is survived by his wife, Karen; two daughters, Claudia and Michele; his father, Thomas; his step-mother, Dorothy, and his brother Jeffrey. Donations may be made to Matters that Matter, Penfield United Methodist Church, Uganda Fund, 1795 Baird Road, Penfield 14526 or to the House of Mercy, 725 Hudson Avenue, Rochester 14621.