Anne Madden, working as a volunteer for the Good Samaritan Mission during the 2014 Manatee Festival of the Arts. Mitch Traphagen photos.
In the coming months and years when a problem or a need comes up, people will ask, “Well, who used to handle that?” The answer will be Anne Madden.
I’ve known Anne since she ran a wonderful frame shop and art gallery back in the days when Ruskin still had two tack stores. Some of her work hangs on my walls to this day. She was a businesswoman with an artist’s soul back then. And, in truth, I’m sure she remained that way.
Anne passed away on May 28th. Losing Anne carries implications far beyond her loving husband, her family and her large group of friends. Anne was one of those people who stood up to do the things that needed to be done. Despite knowing her for nearly two decades, I couldn’t begin to count the number of boards and committees she sat on. She represented South Hillsborough, often as a lone voice, with a passion that was unparalleled. She didn’t look for publicity or glory; she looked toward what was best for all of us.
The truth is, there simply aren’t many people like Anne. Certainly not enough. If there were, the world would be a far different place, a far better place.
That day, the tributes poured forth via social media. Her friend Melanie Morrison of the SouthShore Chamber said, “Anne lived her life the way she wanted to. If she wanted to be serious, she was serious. If she wanted to be quirky, she was quirky. She never held back anything how she felt. We can all learn from that. She had a huge heart and was always the first to help when needed. Anne also made huge impacts in this community that many don’t realize. She was all-around a wonderful person and I am confident she will always be remembered that way. She became a great friend that I turned to for guidance …. She will be missed.”
Robin Roberts wrote that “Heaven got another Angel today.”
Chris Guiley wrote, “What an amazing woman. We’ll miss you.”
Lynn Kessel, a Tampa Tribune columnist, wrote, “Dear Anne, you are still alive in our hearts and minds, through us, you’ll live on and never be forgotten.”
Anne Madden, far right, in a file photo from one of hundreds of events she was involved with. The South County area will miss her.
On her obituary tribute page, someone wrote: “Those that know Anne know her as a woman that can step in front of an opposing crowd and in a very short period of time, have them all agreeing with her and asking how they can help to get it done. A few months ago, her little town of Ruskin, Fl honored her with a lovely gathering and award recognizing her for the endless contributions of her time, intellect, and wit to improve her town.”
A number of people were shocked by the news. Anne had pancreatic cancer. The five-year survivability of it is extremely low. But she never once made a big deal about it. She never complained, except, perhaps, in humorous, almost self-deprecating ways. She didn’t bring attention to herself. But she did bring it to others, especially those of us in South Hillsborough.
Last December, she contacted me about the Good Samaritan Mission losing a major sponsor and not having enough toys to distribute for Christmas. The parents had “earned” the toys by volunteering or attending classes. Without their sponsor, the shelves were nearly bare with only days left before the toys were to be picked up by parents. Children should not have to pay for poverty, certainly not at Christmastime.
With Anne’s input, I wrote an article about the problem, and you, the readers of this newspaper, came through wonderfully. You filled the shelves and you made an immeasurably positive difference in the lives of both the parents and children in need. You showed them you cared, and, more, you showed them that they matter in this community.
A few weeks later I wrote a column to thank you for it. But the truth is that without Anne I would not have known to share the story. She was the driving force behind it, behind what I can consider a Christmas miracle.
She wrote to thank me for the article but I deserved no thanks. It was Anne. It was you. Anne didn’t seek the limelight and thanks to her, you helped people in need — people you would likely never meet.
She was a public figure and, I being a reporter, there were a few times that we disagreed on issues, or at least there was disagreement on the reporting of issues. But Anne was not the type of woman to hold a grudge. Certainly, I have one or two emails from nearly a decade ago with her gently describing disappointment in an article, but, invariably, within a few days, there would be other emails that began with, “Hi Mitch … these people (or this organization) could use some help …” How could any person be better than that?
“January 23, 2015: So excited. I have my new software package. Going to finally learn Spanish! Are you working on anything new for this year?” — Anne Madden, via Facebook.
To describe Anne as an optimist would fall far too short in the narrative. As the cancer progressed, she didn’t stop, she didn’t withdraw. And her husband David was right there by her side. When Anne began losing her hair from the cancer treatment, David shaved his head. Anne and David seemed so well matched — through some unknown but powerful force of nature, every time I saw David he was smiling. I have to think that smiling is a difficult thing for him these days, but I hope and pray that he finds his smile again soon. Everywhere he looks in South Hillsborough, he can find Anne’s impact. There are so many people she touched and helped that chances are the people he encounters going forward will have been touched in some way by the work Anne did. At the end of the day, you can’t help but smile about that. Memories are powerful things. Especially good memories.
Over the past many months, cancer was killing her. But she continued to live in every respect. And the life that she lived, and now her legacy, should inspire us to be better. To care. To stand up and do something. To make things better, sometimes for people that we’ll never know.
Anne did all of that and more. To answer the question, “Who used to handle that?” The answer is Anne Madden.
Godspeed, Anne. Thank you for making this place better, for making us better. You are dearly missed.
