Fearless.
If someone asked me to describe my friend Connie Bye with one word, that’s the one I’d use.
If I ever needed a friend to stand between me and a bad guy coming my way, she’d do it. If a politician of the opposing party from hers needed a verbal thrashing, Connie’s the one to call. And if you ever dashed into work on a hot muggy day, after spending a little time outside in the sun, smelling a little sweaty, she’d be the first to tell you that you might want to go home and take a shower before meeting with some important people at North Dakota Democratic-NPL headquarters.
She did that to me.
God, I loved that woman.
We lost Connie a couple weeks ago, but I just found out about it today. She’d been living in Minnesota and had been doctoring there for the last few years. Her time finally ran out. We’re going to miss her.
Connie and I worked together at North Dakota’s Democratic-NPL headquarters, the Kennedy Center, for a few years back in the 1980s, some of the winningest years in our party’s history. She played a big role in those wins, especially the election of George Sinner as our Governor, because he had picked one of her personal friends, Ruth Meiers, to serve as his Lieutenant Governor, the first female to hold that office in North Dakota.
Her role in those campaigns was to manage the party’s state office, and keep its books, and make sure the checks were deposited and the bills were paid. And to motivate the rest of us to work as hard as she did at electing Democrats. And to tell me to get a haircut and trim my beard and take a shower.
Connie and I stayed in touch all these years later after our time at the Kennedy Center. Her tongue was just as sharp the last time we visited, a couple years ago now, as it ever was. And as sharp as her mind as she reached into her mid-80s, and sat down at her computer and wrote much of her own obituary, which the kids put into the papers today.
Here, read what she had to say.
I was born, I lived, I died.
I had much to be grateful for, much to rue, some to atone for. Nobody’s perfect.
As a mother, there was much to be desired, especially my cooking. I would rather muck out a horse stall than vacuum my home.
However, it is undeniable that I loved my children totally, and have always been proud of them, their children and grandchildren.
My hobbies? Skiing, horse care and trail riding and the friendships associated with those. In the past: adventure seeking, e.g. sky diving, travel, aerobatic flying as a passenger, small plane flying travel with private pilot husband.
Schmoozing.
Never met a stranger, although rejected by a few.
Politics: as a Democrat, it is impossible to be totally one-sided on all issues. I weigh what I consider right against wrong and come out on the progressive liberal side, and wonder what it is the conservatives are trying to conserve.
As a member of the Bismarck Lions Club, charitable volunteering gave me a purpose in life outside of my own needs.
I wish I could say, “Rest In Peace, Connie,” but as I said about my friend Suezette Bieri, who also left us a couple weeks ago, I don’t think that’ll work for her. Somewhere, somehow, whatever comes next, I think she’ll find ways to keep stirring up a little trouble.
So I’ll just say, “Goodbye and God Bless You, Connie Bye. Thanks for making MY life a lot better, and a lot more interesting.”
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