DeVore’s impact long-lasting

Richard DeVore’s leadership and generosity on behalf of Wichita were designed to last, especially as they galvanized others and promoted a more beautiful and artful community.

Perhaps most enduringly, the retired businessman and philanthropist, who died Monday in Arizona at age 76, was the driving force in the establishment of the Wichita Community Foundation.

As a key leader on the boards of the Wichita Art Museum and Greater Wichita YMCA, he enabled both to grow and improve – to the point of working wonders at some difficult times. At the 1999 dedication of the South YMCA named in DeVore’s honor, fellow civic leader Russ Meyer said that “being on a team with Dick DeVore is like playing on the same team with Michael Jordan.”

DeVore’s philanthropy also lives on in the bronze sculptures along Douglas Avenue, as well as the beloved jester associated with Music Theatre of Wichita and other public artworks outside Century II.

At the Community Foundation’s birth in 1986, DeVore said: “We offer donors, both large and small, the ability to do more with their gifts than if they were to act alone.”

Extending to engagement as well as money, that collaborative philosophy served every civic cause that DeVore worked on, helping ensure his contributions will be long remembered and appreciated.

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 6:06 PM with the headline "DeVore’s impact long-lasting."