Years ago, Leah Bayer was caring for a family friend at Nantucket Cottage Hospital when she first met Fred Rogers. “He came every day to bring her a bowl of his homemade soup,” Bayer recalled. “We always said that it was his soup that helped her recover.” At the time, Bayer had no idea that Fred Rogers was a famous children’s television host. Instead, she connected with him over the fact that they were both from Pennsylvania. Bayer was taken by Rogers’ simple, soft-spoken kindness. His approach to caring for others aligned with her own. Now, decades later, Bayer has been honored with the Dreamland’s Fred Rogers Good Neighbor Award in recognition of the same understated kindness that she witnessed from Rogers all those years ago.



"For me to be recognized for this esteemed award is the highest honor that reaches my heart and soul,” Bayer said. With her platinum blonde hair bound behind her trademark red visor, Bayer is known by most as “Aunt Leah,” the longtime proprietor of Aunt Leah’s Fudge on Straight Wharf. For the last 40 years, she’s been an unofficial ambassador for the island, serving old-fashioned hospitality alongside her tasty treats to everyone who walks through her swinging double doors.

Yet the sweetest part of Aunt Leah is not her locally famous fudge. On an island where generosity is most readily seen in monetary donations, Bayer purveys in simple acts of kindness. Whether she is gifting boxes of her fudge to policemen, firefighters, and hospital staff during the holidays, caring for ailing friends, or handing out water to dock workers in the heat of summer, Leah exemplifies what it is to be a good neighbor. She proves that one can make a difference in another’s life, no matter what they have at their disposal. “A group of small gestures will reach farther than a single large one,” she says of her approach. “I think that if everyone could do some small things, it would make a big difference in this community.”

Bayer came to the island in the summer of 1968 at the behest of a college classmate and eventually got a job at the Hub. Before long, she was also moonlighting at the Sweet Shop across the street. One thing led to another, and Leah became a first-grade teacher at Academy Hill on Nantucket—and never left. She taught first grade for 35 years before retiring to work full-time at the fudge shop that she opened during the summer. Though she no longer teaches students formally, Bayer has mentored many employees who have gone on to great heights from her fudge shop.

“I am always inspired by her optimism and passion,” says Ashmita KC, who has worked for Leah since she was 14 years old. “Her kindness—whether it is in giving out bottles of water to the guys working around the courtyard, delivering fudge and cranberries to stores all around the island, or encouraging new local businesses—is something all of us could learn from.” Born in Nepal before moving to Nantucket as a child, Ashmita was championed by Leah to pursue higher education. Currently serving as the manager of the fudge shop, Ashmita will be embarking upon her doctorate in biomedical research.

“Everyone, no matter what their job is, needs to feel appreciated, treated with kindness, and valued on Nantucket,” Bayer says. “Everyone is important here and deserves that recognition.” Yet, when it comes to receiving her own recognition, Bayer is visibly sheepish. Of the many nominations the Dreamland received from the community for the Fred Rogers Good Neighbor Award, entries for Bayer were said to be particularly impassioned. “Her love of this community and the thousands of lives, including generations of families, that she has impacted is incredible,” said the Dreamland’s executive director, Alicia Carney. “She is truly a ‘good neighbor’ and an absolute gift to this community... We are honored to recognize her and celebrate her outstanding contributions and efforts in spreading love and joy to those in this community.”



For those who grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, part of what made the children’s television program so magical were all its kind-hearted characters, from Mr. McFeely on a “Speedy Delivery” to Lady Elaine Fairchilde in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. Aunt Leah would have fit right into that cast of characters. Here on Nantucket, she is one of the reasons why we can say, “it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”