Hey folks. Quint here. Now I know a lot of you might not know or care about a politician dying, but Ann Richards was one of us. She was Governor of Texas when I moved to Austin in 1993 and she was a great supporter of the arts, particularly the film industry here. She was a white-haired granny lookin' lady with the pep and spirit of a much younger woman. She always had a sense of humor and was never afraid to speak her mind.
Dubya booted her out of office in '95 and there was an immediate shift in attitude. Austin missed her. She wouldn't cry about it herself, though. She even appeared in a Super Bowl commercial (Doritos?) the next year commenting on the Dallas Cowboys not making it that year. "They always went to the Super Bowl when I was Governor."
I never spoke with her, but I saw her at least 50 times in my life, always at an Austin Film Society event or watching the premiere of some movie. She was an avid movie buff and if it wasn't for her I doubt Austin would be as film oriented as much as it has become over the last 2 decades.
The last time I saw her was on a flight to LA earlier this year. We had a stopover in Dallas, I think, which is where she was headed. I thought it was pretty cool to see her, but then it got weirder. R. Lee Ermy got on the plane and sat next to her. They were chatting away like best friends, despite their radical political differences. They made quite a pair, white haired granny and Gny. Sgt. Hartman.
Governor Richards was 73 when she lost her battle with esophageal cancer. My thoughts are with her friends, family and fans.
