Tribute to Our Governor Frank O'Bannon (1930-2003)
September 26, 2003
Today is the last day that flags will fly half-mast in our
state of Indiana in remembrance of Governor Frank O'Bannon. He died Saturday,
September 13th.
 Governor Frank O'Bannon with Natasha Vasiltsa on the day of her release from Indianapolis St. Vincent's hospital in September 2001. |
While I have not personally known many public officials, I will have to say that Governor Frank O'Bannon along with his wife Judy have exemplified servant leadership in a most effective and down-to-earth way. They genuinely cared for people and seriously took their public role to help, build and serve their constituents. In life as well as in death they showed care and service.
In public statements his widow Judy talked only about others and continually asked about how THEY were doing. I was able to attend his memorial in his hometown of Corydon in southern Indiana where there was an amazing outpouring of tribute from friends and associates. Some of those photos are below.
Of many wonderful projects that Judy O'Bannon has not only supported but headed, the one that shines most brilliantly for me personally is "Communities Building Community." She along with the Governor have brought diverse people together to build a better society...not by talking about it, but by actually doing something about it. The O'Bannon's had an optimism about what people can accomplish given the right support and encouragement. Judy O'Bannon hosted an Indiana PBS program season by that name that will now run at least another year.
I met Judy O'Bannon for the first time in 1999. She greatly helped support our not yet started charity LifeNets and helped give it life and support from many others. I traveled with her to Russia in October 1999. Afterwards, in 2001 we helped with a Moldovan orphan, Natasha Vasilitsa who came to Indianapolis for two major surgeries for congenital birth defects...a project sponsored and endorsed personally by the O'Bannon's. Natasha was a remarkable child and you can see her story at http://www.lifenets.org/natasha.
The death of the Governor before his time is a great loss to us to grew to love and respect him and his wife. His example will live and should serve us as a model for how to care for the needs of people in this life and for the greater Communities Building Community of the Future.
-- Victor Kubik
Memorial at Corydon, Indiana on Sunday September 21, 2003
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