STONY POINT - As a gentle breeze came off the Hudson, Bernadette Perez explained the purpose of Rockland County's first "wind phone," placed in River Front Park and dedicated to her late son, Kenny Bermudez, who died in February 2025 at age 15.
The phone, placed in a box beside the flagpole in a quiet riverside corner of the park, can help those who mourn a lost loved one express their grief by symbolically allowing a connection.
"Love does not die when someone does," said Perez, a town resident.
About two dozen people gathered Aug. 12 to dedicate the wind phone.
Kenny Bermudez, who was a freshman at North Rockland High School, was a community-minded young man, his mother said, and a quiet and supportive peer. Kenny was a member of the Rockland County
Fire Explorer Post 44. He aspired to be a firefighter like one of his three older brothers.
Kenny Bermudez suffered a rare congenital heart defect called hypoplastic coronary artery disease, which was discovered after his death. In what his mom called part of his signature compassion, the young man was an organ donor after death.
Stony Point Supervisor Amy Stamm stood alongside Perez and said she was proud her town could provide a place of respite.
"The phone is not connected by wires or signal," she said, "it's connected by love and memory."
What does a wind phone do?
A wind phone is a disconnected phone, placed in a quiet outdoor setting, that can provide those in grief a way to share their thoughts with a loved one who has died. The idea is that one can "call" and have a one-way conversation with loved ones, and the words are carried to the loved one who is gone.
The first known wind phone was created by Itaru Sasaki in 2010, when he placed an old phone booth in a garden to help him grieve the loss of his cousin. "Because my thoughts could not be relayed over a regular phone line, I wanted them to be carried on the wind," Sasaki told This American Life in a 2017 interview.
In 2011, a giant tsunami hit and killed nearly 20,000. People showed up to Sasaki's garden to use the wind phone to help them mourn the sudden losses.
The practice mimics many therapeutic practices for dealing with grief.
Where to see Kenny's wind phone
The wind phone is located in the southern portion of River Front Park, along the Hudson River. It is surrounded by a heart-shaped rock border.
A bucket beside the stand that holds the wind phone contains small rocks and pens so people can decorate and leave a memorial stone carrying a message for their loved ones. There are also pens and small scrolls inside the cabinet that holds the phone for people to jot down their feelings.
Riverfront Park is located at 1 Grassy Point Road in Stony Point.
The town park features open grassy areas, walking paths, a playground, picnic tables, and stunning views of the Hudson River.
You can catch a view of Fireboat McKean, a retired NYPD vessel that responded to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, anchored nearby.
Riverfront and other Stony Point town parks are open in the summer from noon to 6:45 p.m.
Stony Point town parks are restricted for residents, but Stamm, the town supervisor, said anyone is welcome to visit the park to use the wind phone.
Nancy Cutler covers People & Policy. Reach her at ncutler@lohud.com; follow her on X, Bluesky and Instagram at @nancyrockland.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rockland's first 'wind phone' to help those grieving honors local teen
