I have sad news to pass on. Mary Colvig, long-time business manager of the Topanga Messenger and long-time volunteer for many causes in Topanga, passed away last week.
She was an original founder of the Messenger, and kept it going for decades. I was editor of the Messenger for several years and know how essential her presence and efforts were for the paper. She not only handled ad sales and bookkeeping, but basically served as publisher. Every week, she sat in during editorial meetings giving her wise advice. Though sometimes it went against her ad instinct, she always backed important stories, even the controversial ones. I had great respect for her talent and good common sense.
During and after the time she retired from the Topanga Messenger, she also became a volunteer on call to many organizations. She was there for every Sages dinner, working on the decor and in the kitchen. She was the bookkeeper for the Topanga Community Center for quite a while, helping them function smoothly.
She was a tough, honest, smart, good person. We will all miss her greatly.
Also, in the last months we’ve lost other Sages, long-time residents of the canyon. Tony Morris, known for his humor and eccentricity, was a regular writer for the Topanga Messenger and an early proponent of the fire-fighting Superscooper planes. I didn’t know Kathy Kaminsky well, but from all I’ve heard, she lived here for decades raising her children with hippie ideals and Topanga smarts. I also didn’t know Babette Gibbs, but those who served Rocco’s meals to her in her final days, said she was one of the best, sweetest women you could know.
To these and all who have passed during this long, dark year, may they live on in the fabric of Topanga.
—Michele Johnson
