Rest in peace, Ann Richards.

Ann Richards died yesterday, and this makes me very sad. Ever since I moved to Texas and learned about her, she has been one of my idols, ranking right up there with Sandra Day O'Connor, whose appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court made me think maybe a girl could be a lawyer, too. Ann was the Governor of Texas before the Shrub (aka Our President) held that position. Her intelligence and charm and wit know no match, whether inside Texas or outside of it.

This story told by Molly Ivins, which I am borrowing from the amazing Juanita, sums up the kind of person Ann Richards was better than anything I could write about her:

Several years ago there was a big political do at Scholz Beer Garten in Austin and everybody who was anybody in political Texas was there, meetin' and greetin' at a furious pace. About halfway through the evening, a little group of us got the tired feet and went to lean our butts against a table by the back wall of the Garten. Like birds in a row were perched Bob Bullock, the state comptroller; me [Ivins]; Charlie Miles, a black man who was then head of Bullock's personnel department (and the reason Bullock had such a good record on minority hiring); and Ms. Ann Richards.

Bullock, having been in Texas politics for thirty some-odd years, consequently knew every living sorry, no-account sumbitch who ever held office. A dreadful old racist judge from East Texas came up to him, "Bob, my boy, how are yew?" The two of them commenced to clap one another on the back and have a big greetin'.

"Judge," said Bullock. "I want you to meet my friends. This is Molly Ivins with the Texas Observer."

The judge peered up at me and said, "How yew, little lady?"

"This is Charles Miles, who heads my personnel department." Charlie stuck out his hand and the judge got an expression on his face as though he had just stepped into a fresh cowpie. It took him a long minute before he reached out, barely touched Charlie's hand and said, "How you, boy?" Then he turned with great relief to pretty, blue-eyed Ann Richards and said, "And who is this lovely lady?"

Ann beamed and said, "I am Mrs. Miles."