Theresa Anthony Hearn

is honored with a Brick from Barbara, Elizabeth, Margaret and Susanna

Throughout my life I have been blessed by having amazing people around me—far too many people to include in this short article. I am truly humbled by the love and support I have received from family, friends and mentors. And I am grateful for the part each of them has played in my journey.

Writing this biography was difficult. Though I am comfortable speaking in public; though my photo appears in the local newspaper and on social media often due to my role as Executive Director of the Derby Community Foundation; and though I have performed in many concerts and plays; I don’t seek the spotlight. I prefer to work behind the scenes and shine light on the accomplishments of others. So, I decided to write this feature to highlight the many people throughout my life who have inspired, mentored, and uplifted me.

I’ll begin with my parents, Clara (Martin) and Joseph John Anthony, who had a powerful influence on the person I am today. As the mother of 10 children, my mother taught me the importance of organizational and leadership skills. My mother was a dedicated Girl Scout volunteer and instilled in me a great passion for both volunteerism and Girl Scouting (I am a Lifetime member of the Girl Scouts of the USA). From my father I inherited a flare for the dramatic (we were both Thespians in high school and college) and a love for reading. As a career Air Force member and World War II veteran, my father instilled in me a great respect for the courageous men and women who serve our country. I take great pride in the Derby Area Veterans Memorial as an initiative of the Derby Community Foundation.

I was born at McConnell Air Force Base Hospital in 1962—the 8th child of ten children. From my earliest memories, my oldest sister, Barbara Bulger, was a strong figure in my life. As the oldest child, Barbara really had no choice but to care for her younger siblings, but I don’t remember her ever making me feel like caring for me was a chore or a burden. Even when she tells the story of how I was a colicky baby, crying for hours on end, and how she carried me around the house trying to comfort me, she does so with care and concern in her voice. As I grew, Barbara was always someone I could rely on no matter where in the world she was living. She has always been there to support me through difficulties and celebrate my successes—she has definitely been a supportive presence my entire life.

All of my siblings have contributed in one way or another to shaping my life. Elizabeth Williams (#2 sibling) taught me about the “nuts and bolts” of being a parent—I started babysitting her children when I was barely a teenager. Through observation and practical experience, Elizabeth helped me prepare to be a mother.

My sister Patty Anthony was child #3 in our family. Patty had Down Syndrome, but my parents provided Patty with the same opportunities and experiences afforded all of their children. Patty didn’t know a stranger and taught me the true meaning of unconditional love. She died on Valentine’s Day (2010) which was an appropriate reminder of the many lessons about love and compassion that Patty taught all of us. We established an endowed memorial fund with the Derby Community Foundation and we honor Patty every year by awarding a grant to the Kansas Special Olympics/Derby Free Spirits and the Girl Scouts of the Kansas Heartland.

George, Michael and Mark, my older brothers, were my first male role models. My brothers seemed to learn a lot of life lessons “the hard way.” By observing how my brothers coped (or didn’t) when confronted by these difficulties, I learned to be careful with decision making. My brothers also taught me about loyalty—I always knew that my brothers “had my back” and would do anything to protect me.

Francie Potter is my family’s “middle child”--#5 of 10. As a cosmetologist, Francie helped me find a hairstyle for my sometimes frizzy, sometimes curly, thin hair. Her entrepreneurial spirit influenced my decision to open a public relations consulting firm, Hearn Creative Services, from 1995 to 2000.

My 2 younger sisters, Margaret Butler and Susanna Starks, were my closest childhood friends and continue to be 2 of my best adult friends. They are both among the most kind, talented and resilient women I have ever known. The three of us share a very strong bond, being the youngest siblings in the Anthony family.

When my parents moved our family to Derby in 1977 (I grew up in South Central Wichita) I had no idea that the man I would marry lived six houses down the street. I met Steve Hearn in Philharmonic Choir at Derby Senior High School (Steve’s father, Ross, was our vocal music teacher). By the end of our Senior year at DSH, Steve and I were inseparable. We became engaged during my junior year at Wichita State University while Steve and his family were living in Des Moines, Iowa. After graduating from WSU with a BA in broadcast journalism, I moved to Des Moines to be with my fiancé and to attend graduate school at Drake University. Steve and I were married on October 20, 1984 at the Friends Church in Derby during Drake’s Fall Break. When I returned to Des Moines the week following our wedding, I had to take mid-term exams! Steve’s mother, Judith Ann (Platts) Hearn, was an important mentor for me—we lost her in 1996. Steve and I honored her with a brick in the Plaza of Heroines to pay tribute to all she meant to us and our family.

Steve was hired by Boeing Wichita five months after our wedding and he moved back to the Derby area while I stayed in Des Moines to complete my MA in public relations. After graduation from Drake in July 1985, I joined Steve and took my first professional position as Director of Development Publications at the Institute of Logopedics (now Heartspring).

While my career took many turns during our marriage (including working in University Communications at WSU; Assistant Director of Communications for USD 259; Director of Public Relations for USD 260), my husband remained with the same company, Boeing/Spirit AeroSystems, for 35 years. I admire Steve’s strong work ethic and the pride he takes in his work. Through all the ups and downs of the aircraft industry, Steve has inspired me with his ability to maintain a positive attitude and an ability to focus on the future. Steve was able to take early retirement from Spirit in 2020 and has enjoyed being the “Special Envoy” to the Derby Community Foundation, volunteering his time to assist me with the work of the DCF.

I have been the Executive Director of the Derby community Foundation since August 23, 2004. In that time, I have had the pleasure of working with some of Derby’s most wonderful “do gooders.” The generosity and vision of the Derby area people who serve on the DCF Board of Directors, who donate to the many initiatives of the DCF, and who volunteer on committees, have motivated me to embrace the organization’s mission. Through the awarding of grants & scholarship; by providing leadership in the community; by encouraging private giving for public good; and by serving the immediate needs of the community, the Derby Community Foundation enriches the quality of life in the Derby area.

Becoming a mother has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my life. Steve and I are the parents of 3 sons – Steven Edward (born in 1988); Douglas Joseph (born in 1992); and Christopher Martin (born in 1996). Raising our children has been a mix of joy and tears, triumphs and failures, but mostly lessons in patience and unconditional love. Watching my children grow into adults has been an amazing experience and I am so proud of the men that they have become.

In 2020, during one of the most challenging times of recorded history—the COVID 19 pandemic—two wonderful rays of sunshine came into our lives in the form of our daughter-in-law, Makenzy Hearn (married our son, Chris, in an intimate ceremony in our backyard) and our first grandchild, Lucy Judith Hearn (daughter of Steven Hearn and Samantha Blankenship). Makenzy’s passion for working with children who have disabilities (she is a Special Education teacher) is inspiring and heartwarming. To say that meeting our granddaughter was “love at first sight” would not be an overstatement. As parttime daycare providers for Lucy, we have a birds-eye-view of her growth and changes. It is my sincere hope/wish to always be actively involved in her life and in the lives of any other grandchildren with whom we are blessed.

My story isn’t finished. What the future holds is uncertain. But I am confident that my future has been molded by all the people I’ve mentioned here and by many who aren’t included in this biography. And I’m also certain that I will encounter many more people in the years to come who will change the trajectory of my life.

I am grateful to my sisters – Barbara, Elizabeth, Margaret and Susanna – for honoring my 60th birthday with the purchase of a brick in the Plaza of Heroines. “To live in the hearts of those who are left behind is to never die.”

Submitted by Theresa Anthony Hearn, May 2022