The woman whose impact on Bellevue will be felt for generations has died.

Rosemary Heflin, 77, died in her Bellevue home on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009.

Heflin was the first woman ever elected to Bellevue Council, running for office in the 1970s, and later became the borough's first -- and only -- woman mayor. She devoted more than two decades to Bellevue government, but her involvement and activism started long before she took a seat in council chambers.

The mother of six, she became active in the Jackson Elementary School PTO. Her attention soon turned to politics and government, however, as she took part in drafting Bellevue's home rule charter.

Although she had little formal education, Heflin became Bellevue's expert on borough law and procedure.

Best known as a political force and vocal advocate for the people of Bellevue, Heflin saw her political influence as a way of helping those less fortunate. She worked to establish a subsidized senior citizen highrise on South Fremont Avenue, and created Bellevue's July 4th Community Days as a place where families could spend a day filled with games and entertainment without spending a penny. She put together holiday dinners for needy families and senior citizens, and organized a local relief effort when Cincinnati was devastated by flooding.

As mayor, Heflin put computers in the borough's police cars so that officers could be on the streets instead of in the station doing paperwork, and instituted neighborhood foot patrols by every officer.

She leaves her husband of 56 years, Jack Heflin, and six children, Kathy Conlon and her husband Tom of Tampa, FL, Roberta Conway and her husband Mike of Bellevue, Judith Glinski of Moon Township, Laura Kozlowski of West View, Jack Heflin Jr. of Bellevue, and David Heflin and his wife Jennifer of Emsworth. She also leaves 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was preceeded in death by a granddaughter.