A stone marker adjacent to the sculpture reads:
"Pickerel Axes"
Was Created in Memory of
Rev. Dr. John Handley
He Loved All of God's Creations
"Pickerel Axes" was created by local sculptor Nofa Dixon and was originally placed on the grounds of the Arboretum as part of a fifth anniversary event called "The Art of Nature" in November 2013.
This "striking piece of clay and steel, titled "Pickerel Axes", is now a permanent amenity along the Lake Loop thanks to its donation by the artist, renowned local sculptor Nofa Dixon."
--Source
"HANDLEY The Rev. Dr. John McNeel Handley, child of God and a faithful servant of the Presbyterian Church USA, passed from this life March 7, 2011. He was 77. John first felt the call to ministry when he was 16 years old and his life was a reflection of his love for the Lord. His spirit was joyous, his demeanor gentle and his smile welcomed all. Even during his long journey through Alzheimer's disease, he was a courageous and tender patient. John was born February 14, 1934 in Blacksburg, Virginia to Charles Overton and Nelle Hall Handley. After a youth spent in and around Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, John attended Davidson College and then went on to receive his Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va., in 1958. He was ordained on October 7, 1958 and his first call was to Jacksonville, Florida, to serve as the organizing pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church. It was then that he had the opportunity to work with Dr. Albert Kissling, the pastor of Riverside Presbyterian Church, and build relationships that would be renewed later in his life. After serving in Jacksonville, John returned to seminary and earned his Master of Theology and later his Doctor of Ministry. During the 1960s and '70s he served congregations in Huntersville and Charlotte, North Carolina, and raised his children -- a son, Chris, born in Jacksonville, and a daughter, Heather, born in Charlotte, N.C. The major portion of his career was spent serving Presbyteries in North Carolina. In 1973, he joined the Concord Presbytery, where he remained until 1988, serving as Associate for Ministers and Interim Presbyter. In 1989, he was elected Executive Presbyter of the newly-formed Salem Presbytery, where he served until he retired in February 1998. Retirement did not mark the end of John's ministry. In 1998, he was called to serve as the Interim Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of St. Augustine in Jacksonville and within months he met Julie Reid, a member of Riverside Presbyterian Church, who shared his love for the church and passion for social ministry. They were married June 21, 1999. It was in the last decade of his life that John's character was most truly revealed, unencumbered by the demands of career. He prayed and worshipped faithfully. He reveled in the glories of nature and God's creatures, lavishing affection on all dogs, particularly his beloved Sandy and Sunshine. He served others with joy, as a volunteer with DESC, Meals on Wheels, and Habitat for Humanity. He went on countless mission trips to disaster sites and impoverished places. He puttered in his workshop, worked in his yard and basked in domestic bliss. In every aspect of his life, he exuded the peace, happiness, contentment and quiet confidence that comes from a deep faith and abiding love. John is survived by his wife, Julie, and her children Laura Reid, Robert Reid, Richard Reid (Jenny) and grandchildren Ellen and Charlie Reid; his son, Rev. Chris Handley (Dottie); his daughter, Heather Bunzey (Danny); seven grandchildren: Will, Stephen and David Handley, and Zac, Tyler, Jonathan and Brittany Bunzey; and the mother of his children, Helen Stout Hunter. He is pre-decreased by his parents and brothers Charles Overton Handley Jr., and Robert Hall Handley."
--Florida Times-Union obituary