Ann Richards

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American politician, elected Governor of Texas on 6 November 1990, but lost her seat to George Bush, Jr. in November 1994. She held office from 15 January 1991 to 17 January 1995. Married to her high-school sweetheart, David Richards, she had four kids whom she adored, involved and working with them and later, her grandkids. She retained the interest in politics that had blossomed while she was in grad school. Active in the civil rights movement, she was elected county commissioner. Over the years, Richards developed a running battle with alcohol. When her marriage ended, she went into rehab. During her campaign for State Treasurer, she was forthright. Not given to evasion, she met issues head-on with capability and a sense of humour. She won the office in 1982. As Treasurer, she turned the Texas books around to bring them into the black. In 1994, she was diagnosed with osteoporosis, a disease that afflicts 28 million Americans, 80% of them women. The Texan politician was diagnosed with esophageal cancer on 7 March 2006, and she died at her Austin home of the disease on 13 September 2006, soon after her 73rd birthday. Link to Wikipedia biography