MEMORIAL HELD IN CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF SALLY STOVALL

Sally Stovall, a long-time ICA colleague, partner of colleague Dick Alton, and founder of Green Community Connections and One Earth Film Festival passed away suddenly on May 21st, 2019. A memorial service and celebration of her life was held on May 25th at Euclid Avenue Methodist Church in Oak Park, IL, where Sally was a parishioner. Hundreds came out to two separate services, a demonstration of Sally’s leadership, enthusiasm, energy, and unwavering dedication to environmental work. ICA Programs Director Seva Gandhi shared the following remarks at Sally’s memorial:

The Institute of Cultural Affairs exists today because of dedicated people who decided to live their lives on behalf of something bigger than themselves. Individuals who decide to operate out of a different value system than the world was accustomed to, and to demonstrate with their lives that that which seemed impossible was, in fact, possible.

Today we celebrate Sally Stovall, a dedicated and fierce leader who helped ICA realize its mission to ‘create a just and equitable society’. Throughout the 70s and 80s, Sally worked in a variety of roles and places for ICA, from development staff to project manager and director, sharing her gifts and talents on behalf of the organization in Louisiana, South Dakota, Washington, New York, and Taiwan. In the past decade, as ICA’s mission was amended to include ‘in harmony with planet Earth’—something Sally was already so clearly devoted to—she became a key supporter in our initiative toward solar energy and a trusted partner on all things sustainability.

ICA recently went through an exercise to distill the core values of our organization. I share these because organizational values do not live on a shelf somewhere, but rather in the actions and souls of those who have shaped the institution and continue to live out its mission every day. Sally exemplified these values ICA holds up in a way few others are able.

The value of continuous learning: Sally was never afraid to challenge herself, learn something new, or be honest about what she did not know. She was curious without being skeptical and always willing to learn something new from anyone who was willing to share.

The value of facilitative leadership: this value was extremely difficult to embody, but Sally seemed to do it with such ease and grace. Her leadership looked so different from being front and center that it might have been unrecognized to those who weren’t paying close attention. She was great about being a ‘guide on the side’ instead of a ‘sage on the stage.’ She worked tirelessly to support others to take action on the change they were seeking, as many of you who worked with her have likely experienced.

The value of equity as a way to create a more just world: Sally had a deep commitment to inclusion and accessibility, and was on a journey of doing the hard work of internal inquiry and exploration to understand her unique role and place in creating a more just system.

The value of collaboration: Sally seemed to defy the adage that ‘if you want to go quickly, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.’ She was somehow clever enough to get everyone to go far, quickly, together.

And lastly, the value of spirit, of being present and connected to those around you and giving of everything you have on behalf of something greater than yourself: Sally shared her spirit, her laugh, and her being generously, and we are forever different because of it. We will always be grateful for Sally, and her spirit will be with us as we continue her legacy.

The question posed to Sally over 50 years ago was: ‘What will you do with your unique and unrepeatable life,’ and we can see Sally’s answer clearly through her mission and work. And I bet Sally would like nothing more than for us all to ponder: ‘What will we do with our unique and unrepeatable lives,’ and how are we willing to actively, not passively, make the change we know the world so desperately needs.

Green Community Connections and the Chicago Tribune have both published memorials to Sally.

​In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Sally's honor to Euclid Avenue Methodist Church or to Green Community Connections.