Celebrating Anne Radford’s Life and Her Contributions to Appreciative Inquiry

It’s with tears of gratitude that I honor Anne Radford’s life. Over three years ago, Anne began sharing with me her poetic pieces of Walking the Way, a profound gift, speaking to “living the mystery” | “living in the presence of spirit” | “On the trail of light,”…and so much more, including, “On Appreciative Inquiry: the gift that keeps on giving.”

I feel so fortunate that I had a chance to speak with her about Walking the Way, before her passing. My last words to Anne were these:

Dear Anne,

This is beautiful, deeply reflective, and moving. You are beautiful, deeply reflective, and moving. …You opened my heart Anne, and my good thoughts and prayers are with you, my friend.

As many may know, Anne’s poetry is indeed a metaphor for her as a human being—a beautiful soul, a quiet seed, and a poetic changemaker who opened the world to new possibilities. You don’t just read Anne’s words—you feel them. In one of her writings, she said: “Across the world, there is a new spirit of change passing through our organizations and societies.”

Dear Anne, your presence opened our hearts. Your spirit lives in this community, in this work, and in all of us who had the honor of walking with you.

We lift up our gratitude to you, Anne.

We miss you.

It is now up to us to carry your light and legacy forward!

With love – we thank you Anne Radford,

David L Cooperrider

April 10, 2025