Bringing hope

Hendricks County’s volunteer Mary Lofton serves people and canines

When Mary Lofton is out and about in Hendricks County, she’s likely serving others. A resident of Hendricks County for 15 years, she is the wife of well-known WTHR weatherman Chuck Lofton. The pair met while studying radio and television at Southern Illinois University. They have three grown children, Tim, Paul and Phillip.

Now retired, Lofton volunteers with service canines at Indiana Canine Assistance Network (ICAN) in Indianapolis as well as Hope Healthcare Services in Avon. The nonprofit organization that offers low-cost, quality healthcare will have its Stories of Hope Gala Sept. 26. The event will honor organizations that bring hope to Hendricks County.

Lofton is also a member of The Rotary Club of Avon, Bible Study Fellowship and Kingsway Christian Church.

For her service throughout Hendricks County, Lofton is the September 2020 ICON of the Month.

What do you consider your greatest virtue? Patience, great patience.

What do you most deplore in others? Ah, a wise person once told me that if you’ve got a problem with some behavior (in others) it probably means you have a problem with it yourself. So, I plead the fifth.

What do you like most about living in Hendricks County? I love the people of Hendricks County, and I love the fact that I’m in the country but in 10 minutes I can be at Meijer.

If you had to live elsewhere than in Hendricks County, where would it be? There’s a little patch of family land, some woods outside my hometown of DuQuoin, Ill., and I’d build a cabin there.

If you could begin life over, what would you change? Sure wish I’d majored in education.

If money were no issue, how would you spend it? Some schools, my church (how do you figure a tithe, one-tenth, if “money is no issue”?) and some of my favorite charities would get a windfall.

What makes you happiest? Not what — whom — my sons and daughters-in-law, good friends, my dog, Senator. So, spending time with them.

What is your favorite vacation spot? We just got back from Mackinac Island, so right now, it’s my favorite.

What do you do with idle time? I love to get lost in a good book.

What is it that makes you angry? What was it? Wait don’t tell me…Aw, dang it, I hate it when I can’t remember what I was going to say.

What do you do to escape from reality? I need to escape it?

What or who is the greatest love of your life? My husband of almost exactly, to the day, 41 years, Chuck Lofton.

Which living person in Hendricks County do you most admire? Chuck. He’s a sincere Christian and the son of blue collar workers. Ever since he was 12 years old, he has known that he wanted to be a broadcaster. He’s gone from radio news reporter to Channel 13 weatherman, and has successfully adapted through all the changes.

What is the quality you most like in a man? A quick, appropriate sense of humor — that’s another thing I admire about Chuck.

What is the quality you most like in a woman? Appropriate sense of humor.

What is your greatest extravagance? I usually don’t get extravagant unless it’s gifts for my kids and friends, and I go nuts in the general merchandise aisle at Aldi.

What are your fears, phobias? Confrontation and cockroaches.

What has been the happiest time of your life? Some of my best memories were when my sons Tim, Paul and Phil were little and when I was coaching competitive speech at Ben Davis and Covenant Christian high schools.

Which talent would you most like to possess? Man, I would love to play the cello. I’ve never touched one, though.

What do you most value in your friends? I value joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self control.

Which historical figure do you most identify with? Although there are many I admire, I suppose I’d identify with Medieval monks or St. Julian of Norwich: They were paid (I guess not paid — but it was their job) to pray all day, meditate, worship God and do the best they could for as many people as possible.

What is your greatest regret? I was able to coach speech teams, but I wish I’d majored in education and been a speech teacher.

What tenet do you live by? “All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well,” credited to St. Julian of Norwich.