Women Whove Changed The Heart of The City.
What was going to be an honor could well be an epitaph.
Georgia Imhoff, a star on the Denver charity scene for decades, was going to be honored as one of those women who, indeed, changed the heart of the city, by the Denver Rescue Mission, today, Sept. 11. Georgia Imhoff passed away Aug. 29 and is deeply missed. Her passing diminishes our community.
Actually, when we refer to her as a star on the Denver charity scene, this is not quite an accurate metaphor. A major activist, yes, a major player, yes but a star? Georgia Imhoff was too modest, too quiet, to be called a star. She was a do-gooder without splashing it around, without making a big show. She loved what she did and the list of her charitable endeavors is very long.
Her primary focus was on abused or neglected children and the Kempe Childrens Foundation. She and her husband raised no less than $17 million in two capital campaigns for Kempe, which relocated to the Anschutz Medical Campus under their leadership.
You name it. Weve been a part of it. But Kempe has been the dearest to my heart, she told the IJN in an interview in 2001.
Then she founded Blacktie, to provide an online charitable events calender, so that everyone could know about everything to become involved in. With typical wry humor, she told the IJN about Blacktie, Were going to do a media splash . . . I feel that will be my legacy to the community as I go off to the wild blue yonder.
Sadly, the time has come. This always poised, gracious person has indeed left a legacy, but it is larger than Kempe and larger than Blacktie and the long list of other organizations she was devoted to (among them, National Jewish, Boy Scouts, DU, Childrens Diabetes Foundation, Regis University). Her legacy, quite simply, is herself: her example, her style, her modesty, her love of family.
It is impossible to recall Georgia Imhoff without recalling her wonderful marriage to Walter Imhoff, about whom she also told the IJN: We do things together. So even though were busy, were busy together. Its hard to slow down in this community.
Well slow down enough, however, to take note of this former surgical nurse who grew up on a farm in Idaho and ended up gracing the charitable community of Denver, never to be forgotten.
