WAND
mourns the passing of a great woman, and a great leader
Jean
Ankeney’s Voice in WAND
In all the years Jean served on the WAND board I never
heard her raise her voice. She always spoke quietly
in a level tone -- you might even have said she spoke
mildly. But not if you really listened to what she
said. There was nothing mild about Jean’s words.
They were about fairness, peace, giving political
power to the grassroots, helping people live better
lives: everything she said made sense -- best of all,
common sense.
You
couldn’t design a better person to deliver WAND’s
message. When Jean spoke about the outrageous military
budget and what it was doing to social programs such
as education -- her special love -- you almost felt
sorry for the Pentagon. (But not really.) Jean made
clear her disdain for a nation that approved of bombs
over children.
Her
voice is gone now but we can still hear it, defying
the powerful, defending the weak, empowering women
-- a brave, clear voice we will all use to carry on
her work. As we do so, we can also remember her chuckle
and her humor and the stories of her farm that made
her the delightful companion and deeply-rooted Vermont
person she was.
Sayre Sheldon for the WAND board
May 19, 2005
Former Sen. Jean Ankeney dies
at 83 / May 16
BURLINGTON FREE PRESS
By Adam Silverman, Free Press Staff Writer
Full article, click
here.
Jean
Ankeney, a former Vermont state senator and lifelong
activist for
liberal causes, died of cancer late Saturday at her
home in St. George,
her family at her bedside. She was 83.
Ankeney's
three children, who gathered at their mother's home,
and her
legislative colleagues remembered her Sunday as a
passionate advocate
for her beliefs, a gracious woman, a busy and involved
mother -- someone
who treated as family all who knew her.
Monday,
May 16, 2005 6:31 AM | CBS6
Former
state Sen. Jean Ankeney dies of cancer
Full article, click
here.
ST.
GEORGE, Vt.(AP) — Former Vermont state Senator
Jean Ankeney has died. She was 83 and had recently
been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Ankeney
died late Saturday at her Saint George home with her
family at her bedside.
Her
family and former Senate colleagues described her
as gracious and a lifelong fighter for liberal causes.
Ankeney
served in the Senate as a Democrat from Chittenden
County from 1992 to 2002.
