April 2006: It was a balmy evening as I drove the rental car north from Tallahassee along the Kate Ireland Parkway. I was heading toward Foshalee, the 9,000-acre plantation run by the highway’s namesake: Kate Ireland. I’d never met someone after whom a highway had been named.

Two of Kate Ireland’s nieces had forewarned me that their aunt wouldn’t be a run-of-the-mill interview subject, describing her as “a force” and “a piece of work.”

Thus alerted, I had expected brass bands or at least big balloons when I knocked on the door of the main house at Foshalee. Instead, a tall attractive woman with a trace of a British accent greeted me. “She seems nice,” I thought to myself, “but hardly someone I would describe as a ‘piece of work.’”

“Kate will be out soon,” said this greeter, who I later learned was Anne Cundle, Kate Ireland’s dear friend and life partner. And then, sure enough, there was the life force herself. There was Kate Ireland, standing in the hallway, beckoning me to join her in the sitting room until dinner was ready.

I was there to interview Kate for the purpose of writing a cover story about her for the alumnae magazine of her alma mater, the St. Timothy’s School in Baltimore. Two hours into our conversation, I took the leap: “Kate, you’ve lived a fascinating life. Someone should write your biography.”

“But who would write it?” she asked.

“I would,” I said.

“Let’s see whether I like the article first,” she said, looking me squarely in the eye.

“Fair enough,” I said.

She loved the article and agreed to have me tell her story. Four years later the book (”Full Speed Ahead with a Twinkle in Her Eye: The Life and Legacy of Kate Ireland”) was published.

We had a rollicking time, Kate and I, during the research process. I visited her both at Foshalee and at her summer compound at Christmas Cove in South Bristol, Maine. I spent time at the Frontier Nursing Service in Kentucky, where she began overseeing the horses and ended up becoming Chairman of the Board. (Kate refused to be called “Chair” or “Chairwoman.”) We had weekly phone conversations. In addition, I interviewed nearly 100 people who knew her well.

Space allows but a brief recap of Kate’s life. She grew up in a wealthy family in Cleveland, where she developed a love of horses and, inspired by her mother, an appreciation for a life of service. After St. Timothy’s, she spent a year at Vassar from which she was asked to take time off, thanks to a less than successful academic record. She went on the “Grand Tour” of Europe, a concept designed to expose young ladies of wealthy families to Europe’s cultural meccas, chaperoned by a woman of sophistication and learning. After spending a few years in Cleveland, where she demonstrated extraordinary leadership for the Junior League of Cleveland and other charitable organizations, Kate moved to Kentucky to be with Anne Cundle (a nurse midwife) and devote her energies to the aforementioned Frontier Nursing Service.

Throughout her life, Kate devoted her immense leadership skills and financial resources to causes she believed in: Education, health, culture and conservation. She was often asked to serve on boards of organizations and then, invariably, became the chair because of her ability to see the big picture and get things done. She gave generously of her time, her talent and her treasure and she expected other board members to do the same. And they did.

Kate Ireland’s highly productive life was not without its challenges. She overcame a severe drinking problem in 1972. As a heavy drinker, she had given her hunting dogs names such as Martini, Gimlet or Daiquiri. The first two dogs she acquired after she quit drinking were named Tonic and Sprite. She survived two bouts of cancer as well as several major surgeries. But she always bounced back. She lived on Tenacity Lane, named her boat Perseverance, and remained an indomitable spirit until her death in February 2011.

Kate and I got along well, in part, because we shared an earthy sense of humor. One day, we were about to begin our phone conversation and she blurted, completely out of the blue, “David, I was a good girl today.” “Why?” I asked. “Because I went to the doctor this morning, and I only used the ‘F word’ twice.”

I liked Kate because she was fun to be around, and I admired her for the great impact she had on the world. She once said to me, “It’s been a good day when I’ve done something for someone else or run a good meeting or raised money for a good cause or talked to some good friends.”

I miss Kate, and I also miss her life partner Anne Cundle, who died the same year. They’re both buried in the cemetery, which adjoins the historic Harrington Meeting House in Bristol, Maine. When I’m in the Damariscotta area, I often stop by that cemetery to pay my respects. And I always walk away with a smile.

(NOTE: Kate Ireland self-published her biography, titled “Full Speed Ahead with a Twinkle in Her Eye: The Life and Legacy of Kate Ireland.” It is only available at the Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia, which can be reached at (229) 228-7767. Because of my rewarding experience with Kate Ireland, I’d love to find another fascinating person who wants help telling her or his interesting story.)

——— David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary as well as suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns. dtreadw575@aol.com.