part of the story, as his email address will attest: dickandbert@.... Dick and Mary Bert Wolf truly are a unit, with
each bringing out the best in the other, and enjoying
each step of the way together. They met when a cousin
invited Dick to a birthday party in Louisville, complete
with blind date.
GLMS members raise a toast in honor of Dr. Richard Wolf.
had the ambiance of a German U-boat. He enlisted the help of local
furniture designer and craftsman R. Woode Hannah, who encased
those columns in rectangular walnut panels with sconce lighting. He
installed matching buffets with black granite tops, and the “Walnut
Room” became a popular venue for social events.
Years later Dr. Wolf again called on Mr. Hannah to modernize the
first floor Boardroom. The result is the spectacular conference table
and matching buffet, crafted from a single massive slab of African
mahogany, hewn from the rainforests of Cameroon, rough-sawn
and dried in Italy before coming to the New World.
Dick hung up his hard hat but remained involved in the GLMS
Foundation, most recently serving as investments manager. His keen
insight and diligence have served the Foundation well, as he guided
the Foundation’s investment strategy, monitored performance and
held accountable their professional financial advisers.
Despite the depth of his involvement at the Medical Society,
Dr. Wolf ’s contributions to Louisville extend far beyond First and
Chestnut streets. He has supported the arts community-wide as an
active member of the Board of the Louisville Orchestra for 20 years,
and continues to chair the Philharmonic Society, the smaller of the
Orchestra’s two endowments.
Dick also oversaw construction of the Kosair Children’s Hospital,
and he has been widely recognized for his career of service. He was
named the Ephraim McDowell Physician of the Year by Caritas
Foundation, and he received the Kosair Charities Roger Fox Award
for Outstanding Commitment to Children’s Health Care. Dr. Wolf
also received the Distinguished Citizen’s Award from the City of
Louisville and a Special Community Service Award from the City,
accompanied by special recognition from the White House.
His advocacy of children’s health included the creation of Safety
City, in collaboration with Kosair Children’s Hospital and the Jefferson County Public Schools. Of the many honors he has received,
being dubbed “Mayor of Safety City” is the one that invariably fills
his voice with emotion.
Despite his many accomplishments and honors, Dr. Wolf is only
16
LOUISVILLE MEDICINE
There the Ohio State graduate met Mary Bert, who was
in her first year of medical technology at the University of
Michigan. By that time Dick fortunately was a third year
medical student at the University of Cincinnati, which may
have tempered the college rivalry. Even today neighbors
may be taken aback when they see the couple taking long
walks together in their jackets: his scarlet and gray one
with Ohio State insignia and hers in the maize and blue
of the University of Michigan. But that’s dickandbert.
After a three-year engagement awaiting her graduation, they were
married in 1955, and they will celebrate their 61st anniversary this
June. They have four successful children and 11 grandchildren, the
youngest of whom will graduate from college this year.
Mrs. Wolf came to work in his pediatric practice in 1966, where
she ran the office. “We’ve always enjoyed doing all kinds of things
together,” Dr. Wolf said, “even working together in the office. She
didn’t treat me any differently than the other doctors. She has been
involved in all of my projects.”
“We support each other in everything we do,” Mary Bert said. Each
spurs the other on to even greater accomplishments. For example,
each had a longstanding interest in photography. She recalls, “Dick
did some photography in high school, and as a child, I recall my
father had a darkroom in the basement, but neither of us had any
time to pursue it until we retired.” A postcard invitation to a photo
tour of southwestern China changed all that. By the end of this year
Dick and Bert will have visited and photographed 89 countries.
Their home serves as a gallery of their striking landscapes and
international portraits of people in native costumes. Many of their
works have appeared as covers of Louisville Medicine, in the Wolf
Art Gallery and at the Kentucky State Fair. With the encouragement
of friends, they entered several pieces on a whim, and brought
home 11 ribbons between them their first year. They were hooked,
and only one year since have they failed to bring home at least one
ribbon. Last year’s awards included Dick’s Best of Show winner in
monochrome.
Richard S. Wolf, MD, reminds us how much we can achieve for
our communities when we apply dedication, determination, service
and vision throughout a career and long into retirement—especially
with the support of an equal partner. Bert says of Dick, “He is always
enthusiastic of the things he is passionate about, very compassionate,
and full of fun.”
Lelan K. Woodmansee, CAE, is the former executive director of GLMS.