Mary Dothard Cooper

I knew Mary from Oct. 1990 until her death on Dec. 8, 2003. She was first my co-worker, then my friend, and finally my boss. She was an extraordinary human being. She was one of the most intelligent people I have ever known. She had a veracious appetite for knowledge. She read all the time. She read for fun. She read for self-improvement. She read like most people breathe -- reading was life to her. She always had books she was trying to get me to read. She was always passing on books she had read to others. Mary was a librarian and the Director of the Meadows Library but reading was separate. She would have read had she been an accountant or a lawyer.
Mary was a wife and a mother. She was a professional educator who loved what she did. She was open to change and encouraged thinking outside the box.
Mary was a good person. She was almost Zen in her outlook on things. She could take a breath and think a situation through before she spoke. She could and would see the other person's point of view. She was wonderful in tense situations. She would bring a rational viewpoint to even the most heated discussion. She could lead by just showing the way. She did not micromanage. She trusted the people who worked for her and made them want to do their best.
I miss Mary. We could use someone with all her gifts today. I will always miss her. I hope she knows how much we all loved her and how large a hole she left in our lives.