HAWLEY — Family, friends and residents say the late Sarah “Sally” Rich, Hawley’s first and only woman Selectboard member, was a thoughtful, strong-minded person who was dedicated to the town.
Rich, who was 77, died last Tuesday at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.
She leaves her husband of 56 years, David; two daughters, Jennifer and Victoria; and three grandsons, Hussain, Brendan and Adrian.
Hussain Hamdan said the cause of his grandmother’s death was persistent heart and kidney problems. A recent heart attack and bout of pneumonia rendered Rich too weak for surgery.
“There was not much those doctors could do,” he said. “They did a really good job.”
In her final days, Rich was mentally alert and able to talk to her loved ones.
“As a result of this, I had the opportunity to communicate many messages of love, prayers, and support from her friends and members of this community. She really appreciated it,” Hamdan said. “Your messages got through and were heard loud and clear.”
Born in New York state and raised in Ashfield and Buckland, Rich laid down roots in Hawley. She was a prolific public servant for the town, serving on four town bodies when she died: the Selectboard, Conservation Commission, Council on Aging and Hawlemont Regional School Committee.
She preferred the traditional title “selectman.”
Rich also had worked as Hawley’s polls constable, town clerk, representative to the Franklin Regional Council of Governments and a member of the Mohawk Municipal Advisory Committee. She helped coordinate the response to Tropical Storm Irene in Hawley, after roads were washed out and the town was isolated for a number of days.
Aside from public service, Rich worked in marketing, sales and at the law library. In her spare time, she enjoyed playing golf, bowling, baking and gardening. She also owned a horse for 25 years, until its death in 2011.
Rich instilled strong values of public service in Hamdan, who currently serves on multiple town bodies, including the Selectboard, the Hawlemont Regional School Committee, and as a volunteer on the Fire Department.
“She was the person who got me involved in politics,” Hamdan said. “She used to say … ‘if you don’t vote, you don’t have a right to complain about what happened.’”
Hamdan’s memories of his grandmother extend far beyond the Hawley Town Hall. When Hamdan was a child, the two visited Shelburne Falls each week while Rich had her hair done — a ritual they continued into his adulthood. They also frequented coffee shops and gardened together, among other activities.
Ann Falwell, a Council on Aging member, remembers Rich as a warm, selfless person and a thoughtful friend. As an example, Rich would deliver homemade cookies to Falwell when her husband was ill.
“I miss her terribly already,” Falwell said. “I think she’s one of the most special people I’ve ever met.”
Fellow Selectboard member Robert Root described Rich as a determined, “old-school” public servant.
“She was really, really respected, quite the lady,” Root said. “It was a pleasure to know her.”
Hawley Financial Administrator Virginia Gabert says Rich delivered home-grown vegetables one summer when she did not have a garden.
“She has always been passionate about Hawley — she cared deeply about the town and would vigorously defend it when a challenge arose,” Gabert said.
Rich did not want a funeral or fanfare, Hamdan said. Instead, a celebration of Rich’s life will be held June 14, 1 to 4:30 p.m. at the Town Office.
“Sally will be sorely missed by all of us,” Hamdan said. “She cannot be replaced, but what we can do is to continue moving forward and pick up where she left off.”
Instead of giving flowers, the family recommends donating to the Hawley Fire Department or the Charlemont Ambulance Association.
Contact Grace Bird gbird@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 280.