Woman's final wish reshapes Georgiaville Pond

A Smithfield woman’s final wish is changing what happens at Georgiaville Pond, where town officials now plan new emergency call boxes and other safety equipment. (wpri.com) WPRI reported that Elaine Taylor died on April 5 at age 70, and her husband, Patrick Taylor, said she asked before her death for a 911 call box at the pond. Town leaders said they now expect to install the box within weeks, along with boxes carrying an automated external defibrillator and naloxone. (wpri.com) Taylor was already tied to the site through the Georgiaville Beach Memorial, where victims’ names are etched on bricks near the water. Smithfield’s Town Council publicly recognized Patrick “P.J.” Taylor, Elaine Taylor, Jerry Bell, and Sandra Achille for their work on that memorial in July 2025. (wpri.com) (clerkshq.com) The new push comes after another drowning at Georgiaville Beach on June 24, 2025, when Smithfield police said officers and firefighters recovered a 31-year-old Providence man from the water and investigated the case as an accidental drowning. NBC 10 later identified him as Timmy Mouch and said his death was counted as the 25th at the pond. (smithfieldri.gov) (turnto10.com) Georgiaville Pond is not a remote conservation parcel. Smithfield lists it as a public beach open to the general public, and the state tourism office describes a 92-acre pond with a beach, boat ramp, fishing access, picnic areas, and a dam walkway. (smithfieldri.gov) (visitrhodeisland.com) That public use has collided with water-quality problems as well as safety concerns. On July 31, 2025, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and Rhode Island Department of Health warned people to avoid all recreation at Georgiaville Pond because of a confirmed cyanobacteria bloom, and Smithfield’s beach page later said the pond was closed for swimming effective that same date. (dem.ri.gov) (smithfieldri.gov) Elaine Taylor’s obituary directed memorial donations to the Georgiaville Beach Memorial Fund instead of flowers. That gives the Taylor family’s effort a concrete funding stream as Smithfield adds signs in English and Spanish and prepares the first round of equipment. (currentobituary.com) (wpri.com) The next public event is already on the calendar. WPRI said the Georgiaville Beach Memorial Committee plans a free gathering at the beach from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on June 6, where residents can learn more about the pond’s risks and the work Taylor spent years pushing forward. (wpri.com)