Creator of Famous Pink Yard Flamingo Passes Away

In 1957, Fitchburg, Massachusetts native Don Featherstone created a plastic pink flamingo and forever changed the landscape of the American home.

The lawn decoration quickly become a staple of yards everywhere and earned Featherstone national celebrity status. On it's 40th anniversary, Featherstone requested photos of his flock from across the country- a kind of homage to what the flamingo had evolved into during its first 40 years.  The result was this amazing photo-documentary 'The Original Pink Flamingos: Splendor on the Grass'.  The bird's mold even has his signature ingrained it in so every true pink flamingo proudly bares his name, differentiating it from knock-off flamingos.

Featherstone passed away this past Monday, June 22 at the age of 59 after a battle with Lewy body dementia.  His passing comes just one day shy of nationally celebrated Pink Flamingo Day- a day that could not have existed without him.