Craig Fedore grew up on campus in the early 60s. Since his father was faculty, MSU was his playground. Its meandering pathways, vibrant gardens and athletic events were always a part of Craig’s life and someday, he knew he would be a part of it. What he didn’t know is that he would meet the love of his life on that same campus. And he would know her the minute he saw her.
As a young, aspiring Spartan, Craig remembers looking up to student athletes and waiting around, hoping to get an autograph from the many stars. Even then, the Beal Botanical Garden was shaping his life.
“When we’d go to the games, we'd walk through the garden to the stadium,” says Craig. Given Beal’s proximity to Spartan Stadium, there is a sort of shared, community energy between the two; from excited fans passing through the pathways, to the distant roar of the stands and the reflection of the lights filtered through shades of green.
“My dad was a botanist, and he was really interested in the plants and used to talk to me about them when we’d go through the garden,” says Craig. He would listen to his father go on about plants for a while, and then respond with, "Let's get to the game!”
Craig hoped to become a Spartan football player himself one day. And so he did, for all four years of his Spartan education. Michigan State was his home, his playing field and his classroom.
He carefully managed his time as a student-athlete, working toward his degree from the College of Natural Science. The football team members were his lifelong friends, and one day, he met his lifelong partner, Therese.
“When I first saw her, I told my roommate, 'I’m going to marry that girl,'” says Craig. Therese, a student studying agriculture and natural resources communications, was a warm, engaging person with a ready laugh who made everyone around her feel important. Craig remembers her beautiful smile, her strength and her ability to touch so many lives with her kindness and thoughtfulness.
He had to think of a special first date. So, he asked if she wanted to go out to the place he had walked through a million times before, where the Stadium lights twinkle in the distance: the Beal Botanical Garden.
“Eager to impress, I asked my roommate to quiz me on trees and plants so I could guide her through the garden,” says Craig. “It was just us discovering it together. After the tour, we walked the campus all night.”
Craig and Therese wandered under the stars to the judges' chairs by the tennis courts for a front row seat to watch the sunrise. “It was a beautiful beginning,” he says.
The Beal Botanical Garden witnessed the start of their 50-year journey and will always remind Craig of the beauty of that first date, and of the life he and Therese built together. They married, had four beautiful children (Claire, Rachel, Lauren and Ross) and became fixtures of the East Lansing Community, since Craig held his dental practice on Abbot Road.
And whenever they had the chance, Craig and Therese continued to visit the garden. “We would usually ride our bikes there. We always enjoyed looking at the Michigan flora for ideas of plants at our cottage. It’s a great place for talking and reminiscing,” says Craig.
Therese shared her love of nature with her family, teaching them about different plants and trees. Together with Craig, she would take the kids to campus to walk Beal Botanical Garden, hike Baker Woodlot, explore the Children's Garden and the garden behind the Student Services building.
Therese had a particular love for Jack-in-the-Pulpit plants, or “Jacks” as she liked to call them, Forget-Me-Nots, and Trilliums. Long before Trilliums were widely protected in Michigan, Therese did her best to protect the flowers and even spent an hour saving Trilliums from rest-stop construction where they were going to be torn up.
The Fedore kids knew exactly how deeply Therese loved them, their family and community. She was the quintessential cool mom. Years ago, when asked about her legacy, Therese turned to her family. “Look around,” she said. “This family is my legacy.”
And although Therese has passed, her family legacy and love of nature is everlasting.
As the Fedore family gathers today, they are bound together with Spartan spirit and the love of Therese Fedore. There is a bench near Beal pond dedicated to Therese; a gift made in her memory from Craig. Since her favorite way to show love was with a really good smile, you will see the phrase, “So many smiles,” gracing her commemorative plaque.
“Plants are living memory keepers,” says Katie Fry, Beal Botanical Garden collections manager. “And when you're in the garden and you see them, it's not just about the species. It's that a specific plant takes you to a memory of love and care. That just exists here in the garden, and it is really special.”
The memory-holding beauty of the garden is true for everyone, from athletes to students, plant enthusiasts and community members. And for over 150 years, the garden has been a growing, living testament to the people who have passed through its shade.
Once, it was called the “wild garden,” due to its natural design and focus on native Michigan plant species. Getting back to these roots is now a priority. There will be a re-wilding of the garden, with the support of Spartans like the Fedore family, enhancing the community experience and the sustainability of this natural oasis in the heart of campus.
As part of Beal Botanical Garden & Campus Arboretum’s “Wild at Heart” campaign, Craig has made another gift to name and establish the Therese and Craig Fedore Michigan Flora Garden, where Michigan native plants can grow, thrive and inspire future Spartans.
“Through his leading support of our ‘Wild at Heart’ campaign, Craig has enabled a celebration of Michigan’s remarkable plant diversity that will deepen the connection between people, plants and place,” says Alan Prather, director of the Beal Botanical Garden & Campus Arboretum. “His enduring gift will help us create more meaningful and accessible experiences and a more sustainable garden for generations of Spartans to come. What’s more, his heartwarming story inspires us to strengthen Beal Botanical Garden’s role as a place to welcome everyone to the MSU campus.”
For Craig, his MSU roots will always be entwined with his deep love for family.
“The gift to the Beal Botanical Garden at Michigan State is in loving memory of my wife, Therese,” says Craig. “This garden will always hold a piece of her spirit — just as Michigan State and East Lansing have been the backdrop to our lives, and the memories we had with our family and friends.”
This Green and White family legacy living on in the Beal Botanical Garden, the heart of campus, most certainly makes Therese's spirit smile.
LEARN MORE about the supporting the Beal Botanical Garden by contacting Liz Ivkovich, Cultural Arts senior director of advancement, at lgi@msu.edu or (517) 353-5213.