A loyal streak reminiscent of Rebecca Lukens, the famous pioneering Coatesville industrialist, has warranted West Chester attorney Mary Ann Rossi the Lukens’ legacy award.

“Over the last several decades, Mary Ann Rossi has been a tremendously influential woman in Chester County, walking in the footsteps of Rebecca Lukens as an independent, forceful, patient leader, never asking for the limelight but always leading others in a positive direction,” Brandywine Health Foundation CEO Frances Sheehan said in a Daily Local News report announcing the 2014 award.

In response, Rossi shared this anecdote: “My mother had an aunt who was a bit eccentric, to say the least. But my mother was totally devoted to her. She took care of her, made sure she had all the food she needed, and when it came time for a nursing home, she visited her every Sunday. One day, the nurses said to her, ‘You are such a good daughter.’ My mother was humbled, but replied, ‘I am not her daughter; I am her niece.’ That lesson taught me much about loyalty as a key value — loyalty to each other, loyalty to your religion and loyalty to your family. Eventually, I expanded on that to loyalty to my community and those I serve.”

Read many more comments about Rossi, a MacElree Harvey director and past Chester County Bar Association president, as the latest Rebecca Lukens Award winner, plus more background on Lukens herself, in the Daily Local News here.