It’s out of the ordinary for The Sedona Citizen to publish something so personal, news without analysis, just ramblings from the hearts of people, but the following essay is a tribute to one of only a few financial supporters of The Sedona Citizen. Perhaps it was the shock of the news, or realizing I had a Thank-You note written but not yet mailed. In any case, these accolades are for a good person–the kind of person all of our readers wish, hope, and work to be.
Please add your personal remembrances or thoughts – of any length – in the Comments section below this entry. [Apologies for previously spelling McWherter with an "i". I kept the error in the file name so people who got the link yesterday can still find it.]
I met Fran McWherter in a class at the gym, where it was obvious she was rehabilitating herself from a physical trauma. That was at least three years ago, possibly a couple more. What struck me about her quiet, retiring self was that she could do almost none of the exercises featured in the class, but she came every time, accepted the modifications the trainer offered or made up her own, and pushed, pushed, pushed to get where she needed to be.
My schedule changed and I didn’t see her for a while, but when I did, she was walking well, more cheerful than ever, and I experienced her in a different element. She was on the Board of Directors for Democrats of the Red Rocks (DORR), the Sedona, Arizona Democratic educational organization.
It was by attending a meeting there that I learned about her high-tech skills in managing bulk emailing and many other aspects for DORR. Perhaps her white hair threw me until I remembered the generation(s) that entered the computer and Internet revolutions before I did.
At the DORR meetings, I learned a few more things about Fran. She was:
- Very efficient at the technical tasks she performed for the organization
- More generous than I could have imagined by knowing her only from an exercise class
- Extremely well-regarded and loved by her colleagues and peers.
When I heard yesterday that she had died the night before, May 8, 2012, I was shocked. I’d seen her at the DORR breakfast March 15. A few days later, March 18, she had a medical checkup that resulted in a diagnosis of esophageal cancer. A mere seven weeks and one day later, she was gone, having been ministered to by friends who will post below, I hope.
I acknowledge awareness of my own mortality is closing in. But I also live in an area where many live past 90 and quite a few to 100 or more. It’s crazy to see someone I know, who with a bottle of hair color could “be” 20 years younger than I.
Rest in peace, dear Fran. And may your family and friends all be assured you made a significant difference in the time you were among us.
Please post comments or tributes of any length in the Comments box below. We appreciate hearing from those of you who knew Fran McWherter much better, and can add a dimension that helps all of us townsfolk feel more grateful for those who walk among us.
Fran was a surprise. She was steadfast and loyal, but brutally honest. I loved that about her. She had a quiet stength and solid quality to her that was daunting and inspiring at the same time.
When I was President of the Big Park Regional Coordinating Council, Fran served as Corresponding Secretary and then Secretary the following year.
She did not suffer fools, and actually spent some time trying to help me sort out files from various community activities and Council projects. One time, when we were together in my home in the study, Fran had a box of file folders and I had stacks and stacks of papers that I (foolishly) thought should go in those folders…they didn’t go in the folders. In fact, Fran took to bringing a sack with her when we were working together and when she left some of those “important ” papers left with her. My husband remembers my begging and pleading, completely undignified and Fran, immovable.
On one visit, I had a small table with 2 shelves that I wanted to place next to my laptop desk….she strongly objected understanding my unigue style of filing (pile it on a horizontal surface) but I ended up bringing the table into the study anyway and shamefacedly confessed weeks later. When I did tell her that I brought the table into the study, you know what her response was? “I know.”
Fran was a treasure buried deep and worth the time and energy to remain still to see her beauty.
When Mel Copen (God rest him, too) succeeded me as President, he wondered about Fran because she was so quiet. Well she cured him of that. He asked her a direct question (perhaps I should have warned him) and Fran gave him such a sharp, succinct and intelligent answer that he was astonished, as was the whole Executive Board. Fran was like that. Always on point, endlessly resourceful, incredibly kind and a dear one. I will personally miss her and always admire Fran.
The shock I experienced upon reading your e-mail was jolting. I had only met Fran last August. So quiet and so determined to complete whatever tasks were assigned to her and always willing to step-up and help.
She delighted in a good laugh but was reticent about joining in. Solid, dependable and steadfast she consistently inspired a sense of calm and security, warmth and friendship, possibility and hope. Rare gifts. And she shared them with us all.
Fran and I had a date to meet for lunch after the SFD Recall Election. I will keep that date and somehow, she’ll be there, too. Her many, many contributions to this community will be long remembered but we will all be diminished by her absence. Godspeed, Fran. Rest now. Your struggles are over. We will miss you.
Wendy
Fran and I initially met at a DORR breakfast meeting, and then again when she attended a planning session for the recall of Sedona Fire District Board Members: Blauert, Christensen and Erick.
As the recall began to become a reality, Fran stepped forward steadfast in her commitment as a volunteer. She worked in the VOC office one day a week from July through the end of October, and additional days when needed. She also filled in at the West Sedona office from time to time.
The last email I received from Fran stated she was feeling alright about the challenge before her. She said if it was her time to go she was prepared, had things in order and was happy that her family was coming to visit.
It’s true…People make the difference! Those words are certainly true for our beloved Franny. Her commitment and willingness to act remains inspiring.
Go well dear Fran knowing you counted, your life mattered. You were woman of substance. We are grateful for the contributions your life gifted to each of us, as well as the positive impact your work, throughout the years, has had in the community.
Gretchen E. Vorbeck