It is with great sadness that Inkwell marks the death of Tillie Fowler, the former congresswoman from Florida, who stood for all the right things.
She died of a brain hemorrhage yesterday in a hospital in Jacksonville. She was 62-years-old.
The Washington Post has a piece that summarizes her career. Here is the bit that seems so just right:
“Rep. Fowler was sometimes called the ‘Steel Magnolia’ and was described as a hybrid of a Southern belle and a Marine drill sergeant.
“She took these comments as compliments and saw her longtime friend Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) as an inspiration. She considered Dole a model of a working woman: ‘She doesn’t have this hard edge that some women acquired along the way….It’s that part of her that makes her less threatening to some of the good ol’ boys.'”
If proof is needed (and sometimes it is today), Tillie Fowler showed that you can be a lady and accomplish great things. She will be sorely missed.