In Bucks county, a Vermilion Hills bridge and bench dedication drew 200. Here’s why.

Beneath sunny skies, Falls Township residents gathered to dedicate a footbridge to a young cancer victim who died in 1976, and to unveil a park bench in memory of a mother and daughter killed in a murder spree last year.

Approximately 200 came to a wooded greenbelt in Levittown’s Vermilion Hills section May 29 for the poignant remembrances and twin dedications: the footbridge to Craig Doster, who succumbed to melanoma at 23; and the bench to Karen Murphy-Gordon and her 13-year-old daughter, Kera, both killed by a family member in 2024.

The solemn retrospections were brightened by children from Manor Elementary School, who sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and other selections from a riser on the greenbelt. In front of them was a new raised garden, which the children had planted near the bench and bridge.

Doster was 23 when he died. The bridge, built during America’s Bicentennial, was named for him.

He was remembered as a kind man and an outstanding athlete who had “character that truly inspired,” said Marta Grothman, a Manor Elementary music teacher, who assembled the event.

Grothman recalled the Doster bridge from growing up on nearby Viaduct Lane. It was called “the green bridge,” she said, “a place to hang out and play.”

Visiting her old neighborhood last year, she found the footbridge, spanning Martins Creek, was hidden by brush. She decided to refurbish, enlisting her students to help.

“But Falls Township had a bigger vision,” she said.

Township supervisors removed the old bridge and refurbished it.

“This project has become so much more than a restoration,” Grothman said. “It’s a testament to the power of community, memory and place.

“May this bridge, and all that surrounds it, continue to be a symbol connection, healing and hope for years to come.”

The late Ernie Grant, who in the 1990s religiously attended Falls supervisors meetings, built the original footbridge in 1976 for his wife, but then named it for Doster. His sons, Eric and Ernie III, unveiled a plaque explaining it.

They were among the first to cross the span, where they recalled a Levittown childhood exploring the creek and catching frogs and salamanders.

Nearby, a bench was unveiled bearing a plaque in memory of the Gordons.

On March 16, 2024, 26-year-old Andre Gordon Jr. broke into their Viewpoint Lane home in Vermilion Hills, shooting and killing Karen and Kera. He then went to Elderberry Pond and shot Taylor Daniels, the mother of his two young daughters.

It was a shock to the community. Kera, 13, had attended Manor Elementary.

A heartbreaking recording of Kera’s final words, pleading for help from a 911 dispatcher, were played in court on Wednesday, just before Gordon Jr. was sentenced to three life terms.

“Those of you who might not work in education might not understand what it’s like to lose a student, and in this case, this was particularly tough,” said Pennsbury Superintendent Tom Smith, recalling for the crowd how Charles Boehm Middle School had a “full house” the day after the shootings, with counsellors offering support. “It impacted a lot of us.”

Two of Kera’s teachers from Manor Elementary remembered her as a sweet kid who loved playing her clarinet and would hug you from behind.

Her stepfather, Andre Gordon Sr., attended the unveiling, with his daughter, Avah, and other family members. He watched as a purple cover was slipped off the bench, which is near a couple of towering old oak trees, and faces the green bridge.

“I really appreciate this, everyone coming out for us,” he said, standing next to the bench. “These are my neighbors, and this is my community, and I am blessed to be part of this community, who’ve been so kind to us.”

The ceremony concluded with the Manor kids sweetly-sung version of the 1972 pop hit “Sing a Song,” written for Sesame Street and popularized by The Carpenters.

Reporting by JD Mullane, Bucks County Courier Times / Bucks County Courier Times