Many hearts are bleeding today.

Denny Warta — who died just shy of his 98th birthday–had many friends.

His circle included the young and the old, the famous and the unknown, the rich and the struggling. A Nobel prize winner and a nomad, a Native American chief and a new immigrant, a Washington, D.C., insider and an iconoclast. They all called him “friend.”

Denny was the intersection for people who would have otherwise never met–or given each other a second thought if they had. The ultimate bridge builder, a networker extraordinaire, Denny connected people across communities, nations, and universes–all as he savored each person exactly for who and what they were.

We all basked in the warmth of his attention and affection, we gratefully received his efforts to advance our interests.

Small in stature (the fuel of generally innocent jokes including his own), Denny was in truth a giant.

No person — or noble cause — was too insignificant for the skinny young sailor-turned-business owner-turned-city councilor-turned-community pillar.

A whirlwind of ideas, enthusiasm, and action, he got things moving and he got things done. He spearheaded countless projects, launched careers, kindled friendships, and moved mountains as if they were pebbles.

The holder of strong opinions, Denny could ruffle feathers. But only the small-minded would hold a grudge. To most of us, his energy and enthusiasm were contagious, his charm completely irresistible.

Denny’s life enlarged us all. And that, more than the parks he improved, the statues he commissioned, and the events he organized, is his true legacy. He lit up the lives he touched. He inspired his protegees to be just like him, to consciously emulate his zest for life and engagement with community. Denny illuminated the world he inhabited. He left this Earth better than he found it.

— Kremi Spengler is a former news editor of the Journal.