By Jim Sack

I mourn the passing of two remarkable women who made a remarkable difference in Fort Wayne; Dr. Jane Irmscher and Anne Richard, the former a beloved health commission of our county, the other an equally revered mother of a former mayor.

Dr. Irmscher, as the papers note, founded a number of programs for our betterment in Allen County, notably the super shot program to immunize more of our children. Rates were low when she came into office and they were sky-high when she left office. As health commission she set standards for public food safety, for immunization and for a dozen other areas. She was simply a visionary who we all should thank daily for the safe guards she put in place. But, I also knew her as a respected elder. She was the mother of a good friend, so I often, years ago, had the opportunity to visit her home. A more gracious and loving woman you could hardly ever expect to meet and there was nothing but kindness and tenderness from the moment she would meet one at the door. Dr. Jane Irmscher was simply a loving woman who applied her goodness to the benefit of the rest of us.

And, I would think that if there is a heaven and we do meet again Dr. Irmscher is standing arm-in-arm with Anne Richard, herself the epitome of charitable, polite, well educated and gracious women. Mrs. Richard will best be remembered as the mother of our former mayor, Graham Richard, but she was also very active in the affairs of her church and in helping others less fortunate than she in other parts of the world. Graham was the product of her compassion and great intelligence. Again, I had the great opportunity to be a regular in her home during 1980. As I remember, she would serve milk and cookies to me, a campaign worker for her son, and to others who came to his aid. She set the gold standard for politeness, respect and gentleness, but she could offer a quick insight into to politics, as well.

So, if there is a heaven there is a reunion attending now at a nicely set table where two gracious ladies hold a remarkable conversation about all that they had seen in their eight plus years of life. Fort Wayne has a great hole in her heart today.

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