This summer saw a number of funerals for individuals who were significant figures in the community. First there was Warren Farha, the founder of Eighth Day Books, whose funeral at the Orthodox Cathedral was standing room only in the overflow room. Then it was a funeral for Tom Gossen at St. James Episcopal. Tom was an architect who became a local advocate for stewardship and social justice. More recently, Anthony Horsch, Cowtown’s dedicated education curator, passed away suddenly. All three events were respectful tributes to men who were modest and self-effacing yet who also wanted to make a difference in their communities.
They were also examples of a generational shift that we are now just starting to see: the passing of the baby boomers. Boomers have had the vision and the numbers to put their stamp on Wichita, from the rock groups that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s to Civil Rights icons to leaders in the LGBTQ movement to many of the participants in the Summer of Mercy abortion protests. I sometimes say that whenever two baby boomers meet, they organize an event, so many of our signature events also are tied to the boomers. A generation who embodied the very definition of youth culture is now leaving behind a legacy whose scale is so large that it will be difficult to document.
Of course, this is a challenge for all generations. During more than one of these funerals I got asked if I had retired already. I have a ways to go on that one, but I know people my age who have. The cycle continues.