FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Many in the city of Fort Wayne paused on Friday to remember and honor former Mayor Tom Henry. March 28 marked one year since his passing. City of Fort Wayne remembers late Mayor Tom Henry on one-year anniversary of his passing A big part of Mayor Henry's life was his wife, Cindy. She owned the Green Frog Inn for two decades and was always by the mayor's side through his political career.Cindy died in January last year after a battle with pancreatic cancer. It was just two month before Tom died of complications from stomach cancer. Tom and Cindy Henry Their daughter, Elizabeth Henry-Guevara sat down with WANE 15 in the Henry home and shared her memories of Tom and Cindy, both as public figures, and as her mom and dad. "I'm sad they're gone, but I need to remember that I had the best and I'm lucky for that," Elizabeth said. Elizabeth Henry-Guevara reflects on her parents' legacy. The house where Elizabeth grew up is her home once again. In the space that once was the dining room where Cindy would host parties for friends and family and fundraisers for candidates, the walls are now lined with the legacies of two lives. Tom and Cindy Henry's wedding photo. "When I took over the home, I had to promise my mom I wouldn't make it a shrine to them, so I decided this would be the one room to house all the awards and memorabilia. It's been a nice place to sit and reflect at night. I can't get rid of this stuff," Elizabeth smiled. Henry honor wall While Tom was in politics for around forty years, Elizabeth recounts that her mom has just as many things in the remembrance room. "My mom never met a stranger. She made everyone feel important. Her passion was the Green Frog Inn, which she didn't really see as a business. She saw it as a place for people to gather of all walks of life. She was the last one to judge you when you walked in the door. I think my mom's legacy is her ability to create community and her passion for that. It meant the world to her to make someone smile and she did it in the most genuine way," Elizabeth said. Henry family after Tom won a fifth term as mayor. Cindy was also the first lady of Fort Wayne. "I always called her the wind beneath his wings," Elizabeth smiled. Tom served on city council from 1983 to 2003 then was elected to the Mayor's office in 2007. He went on to become city's longest serving mayor and was elected to a historic fifth term in 2023. "I think my dad's biggest legacy is trust," Elizabeth said. "I think it meant the world to him that the city entrusted him to carry out a fifth term and remain in the seat that was his passion and to be able to continue to do what he said he was going to do. He felt a responsibility to do his best to make the city a little better than he found it." On the coffee table are piles of photo books from each year of his time as mayor. "You can see how much joy he had in the pictures. He's just in his element," Elizabeth said. Tom and Cindy weren't just public figures, they were parents and grandparents. "I get to raise my two daughters in the bedrooms where I grew up. It's pretty special and I have all the same neighbors that I had when I was little, but they're all retired now and love to do my yard work and watch my kids play in the driveway," Elizabeth laughed. Living in the home that her parents filled with love and laughter is now a comfort. "I like to sit in Dad's recliner and watch my shows like he did and I like to play cards with my friends at the table like I would play cards with my mom. I think it makes it easier," she pondered. She's now in the process of making photo albums for her girls, ages six and eight. "We talk about them every day. I make sure they know it's ok to miss them and that we all do. Someone told me that pretty soon I'll get used to the invisible form of my parents, the ones that live in my heart, and they said that it will feel more natural soon because that's where they've resided all my life. I thought that was helpful and I try to teach that to my daughters." Elizabeth hopes her daughters will grow up seeing the impact her parents left behind. "What it means to have a passion and what it means to own the responsibility of taking care of others and the world around you and the importance of trust and kindness and fairness and respect. I think my parents embodied all of that and I know my girls will understand and live the same," she said. Mayor Henry had a motto: Risk more than others think is safe, care more than others think is wise, dreams more than others think is practical and expect more than others think is possible. -Mayor Henry's Motto "I think that's the West Point Maxim. I think since his military days he's lived that. He embodied that. He certainly risked a lot and cared a lot. After a few years, we got sick of him saying that in almost every speech, but he believed it so much. And I think he felt that if you did that, that you could make a difference, just as he did," Elizabeth said. Tom Henry's Army photo Cindy's favorite quote still sits in a frame on the bathroom vanity. I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I should do, I can do, and by the grace of God, I will do -Cindy Henry's Motto "She lived that to be true so much. I used to get overwhelmed with the world today and she'd say to me, 'Now, Bitsy. You just need to try. You just need to try.' I think one of my parents' best contributions to the city and our community is their investment in our youth. They were big on teaching the next generation about what it means to be of public service. I think my dad figured the best way his legacy could carry on was giving youth a voice and helping guide them," Elizabeth said. Both Tom and Cindy had unmistakable laughs that could be heard across the room. "Oh yeah. My mom's most genuine, fun, laugh. It would just echo," Elizabeth laughed. "And dad would get his belly laugh going and have to hold his stomach. We had so much fun. They were the most fun-loving, just special parents. I was very, very blessed." Elizabeth recalls the life lessons from her parents that she said everyone can learn: People won't always remember what you do or say, but they'll remember how you made them feel. "They taught me kindness and respect. They taught me not to be judgmental. They taught me I have a responsibility to help others and care for others. They taught me what it is to be passionate about something. We owe it to each other to be there for each other and support each other and not judge each other. That was my parents all the way," Elizabeth smiled. Walking through her parents' illnesses and deaths in the public eye wasn't easy, she said. "They taught me to be genuine and some things are left to God. There are lessons to be learned in everything and hopefully I've had my mom's grace through it all." Now her motto through her journey is learning to dance in the rain, meaning you can't wait until life isn't hard anymore to decide to be happy. ...read more read less