Many qualities are combined to make a good community. Two that are often overlooked in the studies, plans and programs that issue from governments and chambers of commerce are wit and kindness. No town can ever have enough of either.
In the past week, Emporia lost a measure of those qualities with the deaths of Dorothy Brinkman and Phil Martin.
We don’t know if they knew each other. They were from different generations and ran with different crowds. But both were extraordinarily kind and both were smart and funny.
Dorothy Brinkman and her husband, Jay, were fixtures at the university and in the community. They could be found at fundraisers, public events, shows and exhibits. They were always surrounded by friends because they were always making friends. After Jay died four years ago, Dorothy soldiered on, doing what she could to support the town and the school.
Phil Martin played on a smaller stage. As director of Court Services for the city, he spent a lot of time at work. His staff loved him, and he spent a great amount of his time trying to see that the court system made a difference for the better in the lives of those people unfortunate enough to go through it.
We mourn the deaths of these two good neighbors. The town will be a bit poorer for their passing.
But their kindness will linger and their wit will echo for years to come in the memories of those whose lives they touched.