But the most fitting tribute to the former mayor might have come from people who have never met her. Across Cherry Park on a warm, sunny morning, a man made his way down the walking trail that weaves through the tall trees. A woman started her jog.

This is what Rhea envisioned a quarter-century ago when she bucked popular sentiment by putting an expansive park in Rock Hill.

"Lot cooler of a day than when we were here in 1985, politically and otherwise," U.S. Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., told Rhea during a morning ceremony. "She literally changed the landscape of this community. This is her baby."

Rhea's baby now bears her name. The park's central tower has been christened in her honor and a new monument behind home plate on one of the five fields shows her name and likeness.

Rhea was given multiple standing ovations from an audience that included former Mayor John Hardin and former Catawba Indian Nation Chief Gilbert Blue.

Like raising a child

When Rhea took the podium, dressed in a bright blue jacket, big sunglasses and a trademark scarf, she explained that she actually brought two scarves for the occasion, just in case she felt like a last-minute change.

"I just wish Jimmy could've been here," she said, mentioning her husband who died last fall. "He loved Cherry Park. It was our fourth child."

An endowment created by Rhea's admirers three months ago has raised $10,000 in seed money from more than 70 donors. It will help pay for parks and recreation services, which are among Rhea's greatest passions.

As he stood next to a softball field that will fill with young players in tournaments this summer, friend Bob Parker summed up Rhea's legacy.

"She was a people person," said Parker, the former principal of Rawlinson Road Middle School. "She was able to get along with everybody. Cherry Park speaks for itself."