dLCV mourns the loss of our long time friend and advocate, Sally Conway, who passed away on Friday, April 25, 2025. She had served on dLCV’s Board of Directors for many years, most recently as the President of the Board. We are pleased to share with you this tribute written about her by a former colleague of hers at the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
For Sally Conway. . .
Sally, it’s an honor,
To have crossed a path with you,
For I have seen how special,
Were the things that you did do.
From what I’ve known about you,
From my days in Civil Rights,
You rarely saw the darkness,
For you focused on the lights.
As a person with a wheelchair,
Access meant so much,
And though you might not know it,
Mine’s a life that you did touch.
You inspired me and others,
To advocate and fight,
For all with disabilities,
Who deserved to have that right.
When the ADA was nascent,
When no one had a clue,
You set about to educate,
And told folks what to do.
You guided countless businesses,
Who feared the law’s demand,
By reducing their anxiety,
And lending them your hand.
You knew the law’s vast impact,
And that’s what you’d convey,
You wouldn’t ever threaten,
Instead you’d gently sway.
In every case you worked on,
You’d pry o’pen a door,
A fairground, or a theater,
9-1-1, and so much more.
I recall with Avis Rental Car,
Which reached a landmark deal,
Reno had a show and tell,
With you behind the wheel.
It’s something that had impact,
And yes, you played a role,
For a picture speaks 1,000 words,
And indeed that was our goal.
But you need not be at Justice,
For wherever you would dwell,
You carried on the mission,
In your later years, as well.
From D.C. to Virginia,
And from the Granite State,
You improved the lives of many,
No, in fact, you made them great.
There’s a line that comes to mind for me,
As we celebrate you now,
It’s. . .”She who has a ‘why’ to live,
Can bear but any ‘how,'”
In everything you chose to do,
You always were good willed,
Your life it had a purpose,
And that purpose you fulfilled,
Now, I know you had a love for snow,
I’m not sure what to say,
I know it could be pretty,
But snow, it melts away.
Is there something we’re all missing,
As to why you’re fond of snow?
I may not see the metaphor,
Forgive me, I don’t know.
But I know you fought for access,
Despite the hand one’s dealt,
And I know all your achievements,
Will endure, they’ll never melt.
All my love,
Myron Marlin