The death of Adele Hall is a huge loss for the greater Kansas City area as well as for the entire country.

The Nebraska native, one of the University of Nebraska’s most loyal and ardent supporters and a former Cornhusker cheerleader, moved to Kansas City when she married Hallmark executive Donald Hall. She embraced and adopted Kansas City and was one of Kansas City’s greatest, most effective, tireless and generous advocates.

If there was an important project or challenge facing Kansas City, Adele Hall was ready to assume a leading role and commit her full effort, time and resources to help engineer a successful solution to that particular cause.

She not only was a leader in Kansas City, but she has been recognized and honored by numerous national organizations for her tireless efforts and generous support.

She and her husband were close friends of former President George Bush and Barbara Bush and were frequent guests of the Bushes at the former president’s home in Maine. They were generous contributors to the Bush Library in Lubbock, Texas, and were invited to join President and Mrs. Bush on their plane as they left Washington to fly to Texas after Bush was defeated by Bill Clinton.

Although Adele Hall took center stage in numerous national efforts, she remained anchored in Kansas City, a genuine Midwesterner and a loyal supporter of Kansas City and its civic, cultural, educational and medical programs.

Kansas University has been the recipient of millions of dollars from the Hall family. The school here in Lawrence, the medical school in Kansas City and KU Hospital all have benefited greatly from the Hall family’s interest, support and generosity.

No one is indispensable, but Adele Hall’s death is a tremendous loss in so many ways. She was a warm, genuine individual, a loyal and fierce friend and ally, sensitive to the needs of others.

She was fortunate to have had substantial fiscal means, but it was how she and her husband and partner, Donald, directed and targeted these funds to help such a wide and diverse cross-section of those living in the greater Kansas City area that made the Hall support so meaningful and effective.

Adele Hall was a genuine leader in every respect. She was one of Kansas City’s greatest assets. There was nothing phony or put-on about this human dynamo who never seemed to run out of energy or a desire to help others.

The list of her awards and honors is long. The number of organizations and individuals she helped also is long and diverse. Undoubtedly she made gifts to programs or individuals in a nonpublicized manner as she and her husband preferred to remain out of the spotlight.

This transplanted Cornhusker has left an indelible and positive mark on this area.

She leaves a giant footprint that will be difficult to fill.