It's been a sad few days with the deaths of Wendy Wasserstein and Coretta Scott King (as disparate as their missions were, they were both formidable women).

This came yesterday from Marilyn Baker, NAMI PA, Chester County Coordinator:

"PA Senator Robert 'Bob' Thompson, of Chester County - 19th District, passed away unexpectedly Saturday, Jan 28, 2006 at the U of PA Hospital in Philadelphia. He had been diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis earlier in 2005.

"There will be a Viewing Friday evening (time TBA) and a Memorial Service at 11:00 am on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2006 at the First Presbyterian Church in West Chester Borough.

"I have known Bob for close to 30 years and had the utmost respect for him as a person for his character, dedication to the community, as a public servant to the residents of Chester County and the state of PA, as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, among other committees.

"In particular, he was a strong advocate on the county, state and national level for those persons with mental illness and for those of them, who were put in jail and prison, due to lack of proper facilities for their care. He will be greatly missed."