When I was in 3rd grade I had to do my first book report. We could also do a report on a long magazine article if we wanted. We got National Geographic every month and I devoured it. When the report was assigned I knew exactly what I was going to do. I was going to write about the coolest person from the coolest magazine. I wrote about Jane.
I cut the magazine to shreds making my book report. Telling the story of her meeting chimps, giving them names, getting to see their personalities and watching them grow. My favorites were Flint, a young boy like myself and David Greybeard, an old man who seemed to know everything.
Every few years or so there would be another article about her and the chimps. I loved seeing Flint grow up. It was like getting a pen pal letter from far away, with Jane catching me up on how all the family was doing. It was something I looked forward year after year.
Later, I followed her career beyond the forest where she initiated programs to help the world understand not just Chimps but all of the animal kingdom. She worked hard to show us all that animals have feelings, have hurts, have personalities, and are worth caring about and treating kindly.
She also championed taking care of our communal environment, for humans yes, but for all of life. She had a mission and she never faltered in moving forward to see it to fruition.
In 2005 I was able to see her speak at a school in Tulsa. I brought my sketchbook and drew her. I was able to meet her afterwards and show her the drawing. I don’t know what it meant to her but I know what it meant to me. There isn’t a movie star or sports personality alive or dead that I would have rather met (except Muhammad Ali, who I also met).
So for 62 years, since that first article I read, I have had a true hero I always looked up to. She’s gone now but I won’t stop look up to her.
RIP my friend Jane.
© 2025 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
