DANVERS — Shiyanne Thornell only had four years to play with her young friends at Endicott Park. But yesterday, amid a crisp fall breeze, dozens of relatives and friends implanted her vivacious spirit there forever.

"When you play here she will play with you," reads part of a granite stone dedicated at the Forest Street park yesterday. Behind the stone, a red bud tree, which features heart-shaped leaves, was planted in the ground, with her closest relatives throwing the first shovels full of dirt over the roots.

Yesterday would have been Shiyanne's fifth birthday.

"Shiyanne was so important to so many people. And that means a lot to us," Shiyanne's mother, Joy Thornell, said before a 100-plus crowd gathered for the 4 p.m. ceremony.

Shiyanne, a preschooler at the Riverside School, died on July 26 of encephalitis. Yesterday she was remembered not for the brief illness that claimed her life, but for her tippy-toe dances, love of chocolate Munchkins and how she smiled at her father, Don Thornell, just minutes after she was born.

"She was a beautiful little girl, a magical little girl," family friend Lorryn Kinkaid of Georgetown recalled, as she cradled her own son, Sam, just 7 weeks old.

"She was just a little sprite," Kinkaid said.

Dozens of children attended the ceremony along with friends and neighbors of the Thornells, who live on Chestnut Street. During the 50-minute ceremony, the crowd gathered in a semi-circle around the red bud tree. Behind them, the laughter of children enjoying the playground yesterday reverberated through the group.

Susan Golden lives down the street from the Thornells. And like them, she also has four children.

"I don't know them well, but I've talked with Joy several times when I was walking my kids around the block," she said. "They are just a lovely family, and it's heartbreaking."

At the same time, Golden said she admires the Thornells for helping not just their immediate family, but the entire community to deal with the little girl's death. "They've definitely reached out to the community ... It's amazing."

Joy Thornell explained that each spring, the red bud tree blooms "outrageously beautiful" flowers in purple and pink, Shiyanne's favorite colors.

"A tree lasts a long time," she said, noting the tree will be in Endicott Park "a lot longer ... than us."

Don Thornell also asked everyone to share their stories about Shiyanne with them, either in a memory book provided there yesterday or on Shiyanne's Web site, www.shiyanne.com. Memories keep loved ones alive, he said.

"And by having her name here, she'll live on for generations," he said.

A fundraising effort in Shiyanne's name continues. Donations paid for the granite stone and tree and will be used to refurbish the Endicott Park playground.

"That's our long-range goal," he said. "Obviously, this place is real special to us now."

Staff reporter Jill Harmacinski can be reached at (978) 338-2652 or by e-mail at jharmacinski@ecnnews.com.

How to help

Donations in Shiyanne's name may be made to the Shiyanne Thornell Memorial Fund, care of Danversbank, 1 Conant St., Danvers, MA 01923.