'He lived a good life.' Colleagues share stories about longtime public servant Ted Ensley.

Kind, sweet people usually don't succeed in politics, says Rich Eckert.

But Ted Ensley did — and he was one of the kindest, sweetest people Eckert ever met, the former Shawnee County counselor said.

Eckert and former Shawnee County parks and recreation director John Knight were among colleagues and friends who spoke fondly this past week with the Capital-Journal about Ensley, 87, who died March 9.

Ensley spent more than 50 years in public service.

"He lived a good life," Knight said.

From 'fishing hole' to 'community centerpiece'

Eckert and Knight were county counselor and parks and recreation director, respectively, for most of the 16 years Ensley served on the county commission, from 1997 to 2013.

Ensley previously was Shawnee County's parks and recreation director from 1961 to 1992 and director of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks from 1992 to 1995.

His parks and recreation duties included being the first manager of what was then known as the Kansas Expocentre and is now called Stormont Vail Events Center.

Ensley will be remembered for making Shawnee County a more enjoyable place to live and helping attract people here, particularly by bringing about improvements at Lake Shawnee, Knight said.

Under Ensley's leadership, that lake was transformed from a "county fishing hole" into a "community centerpiece," said a resolution Kansas legislators adopted congratulating him when he retired from the commission in 2013.

Lake Shawnee Golf Course, the Rowing Association, Yacht Club, Bettis Family Sports Complex and Lake Shawnee Trail were all constructed or had their beginnings under his management.

The travel website Expedia in 2017 named Shawnee County the Best Place to Visit in Kansas.

Ted Ensley Botanical Gardens

Ensley also oversaw the creation of a garden just west of the lake to serve as "a magnet that would bring people in — a place to enjoy life," he said.

Ensley felt particularly proud that he became the namesake of that attraction, Ted Ensley Botanical Gardens, which encompasses 37.5 acres and features a rose garden, waterfalls, fountains, streams, flower beds, a gazebo, a garden pergola and walkways.

"To have that name (on the gardens) is really, really special," Ensley said in 2017.

"Ted's legacy is Lake Shawnee, and it is appropriate that the Ted Ensley Gardens bear his name, because that's what he was about," said Vic Miller, who served with Ensley on the commission from 2001 to 2011. "He had a love affair with Lake Shawnee and all that went with it."

He was a Democrat — but Republicans liked him, too

Ensley, a Democrat, won four straight terms representing District 3 on the Shawnee County Commission, even though Republicans outnumbered Democrats in that district, which generally covers south-central and southeast Shawnee County.

Eckert, a Republican, said that came about in part because Ensley was a genuinely good person.

"Regardless of whether you're Democrat or Republican, you still recognize the good and the moral, and Ted was both of those," he said.

Ensley's top priority was always doing what was morally right, Eckert said.

"I think the thing that kept Ted awake at night was 'Will this vote be the right thing to do?' and I didn't commonly see that among county commissioners," he said.

Ensley was also fiscally responsible, which Republicans liked, Eckert said.

He said Ensley worked so well with members of both parties that people often didn't know which party he was in.

"He didn't know a stranger, really, and to know Ted was to like him," Eckert said.

Ensley knew "just about everybody," Knight said.

"If I hadn't seen him for awhile, his first question was 'How's your wife doing?'" he recalled. "And he had the ability to remember people's faces and names."

'A gentle soul'

Ensley was a "gentle soul" who made people around him feel at ease, said Shelly Buhler, an Independent who served with him on the commission from 2007 until he left in 2013.

Ensley had a deep love for his family, Buhler said.

His obituary said Ensley's survivors include Elna Ensley, his wife of 66 years; their three children, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; and three siblings.

Ensley's faith and his community were also important to him, as was the county's parks and recreation department, Buhler said.

"He loved his parks and recreation staff, and they loved him back," she said.

Ensley had a solid vision for his community — and Lake Shawnee in particular — and worked every day to to make that vision a reality, Buhler said.

His work ethic was "very strong," she added.

'Sincere, gentle person with a love for Topeka'

Ted and Elna Ensley had been members since 1965 of First Lutheran Church, where they raised their children, said that church's pastor, Jenny Jackson.

"One of the most telling stories I have of Ted is of the very first time I met him 10 years ago," she said.

Ensley had the responsibility of giving Jackson a tour of this community, she recalled.

"Of course, he drove me around to the gardens, and instead of bragging or showing off that gorgeous outdoor space, I witnessed this sincere, gentle person with a love for Topeka and the people here, expressing what a wonderful place this would be for me and my family," she said.

Ted Ensley served First Lutheran Church in various ways, including being a lector and usher and assisting the pastor during worship services, Jackson said.

"Ted served on various committees in the church and was a trusted voice with our endowment committee," she said. "He served as council president multiple times throughout his life together at First and I truly appreciated his example of honest, generous service to God and the church."

Behind the scenes, 'Nobody pushed him around'

Ensley kept his composure, even at times when that may have been difficult, Miller said.

"He was always very patient with me," he said. "I appreciated it."

A fellow Democrat, Miller said he found Ensley to be a good partner in deciding matters of public policy because when they disagreed, they were usually able to work through it.

That was because they had pretty much the same goals, which were to keep costs low but provide good quality services people could be proud of, Miller said.

Two of Ensley's opponents in his runs for re-election suggested Ensley was too strongly influenced by Miller, and too often voted on the same side as Miller.

Ensley responded by telling The Capital-Journal in 2008 that he had the backbone to say "no" to Miller — or anyone else — when he disagreed with them.

Knight backed that up.

"Behind the scenes — in (executive sessions) and places like that — nobody pushed him around," Knight said. "He could be pretty combative behind the scenes."

Parks and rec merger hinged on trust in Ted Ensley

Ensley was a "zealous advocate" for parks and recreation, Eckert said.

He recalled seeing Ensley's eyes "light up" when staff members first suggested the county replace its leaky old pool with a $3.7 million aquatic center at Shawnee North Community Center, 300 N.E. 43rd. The county completed that project in 2006.

Ensley played a key role in bringing about various other parks and recreation improvements made in the years that followed, Eckert said.

Ensley then played a key role in convincing a majority of the Topeka City Council to agree to arrange for city of Topeka and Shawnee County parks and recreation departments to be consolidated under county control beginning Jan. 1, 2012, Eckert and Knight said.

City elected officials agreed to the merger because they trusted Ensley to make sure the consolidated department was run correctly, Knight said.

"I don't know what would have happened if Ted wasn't there," Eckert said.

'Almost like a father'

Eckert, who became county counselor early in his legal career, said Ensley became "almost like a father" to him.

At one point, Eckert said, he told Ensley that he would keep working for the county so long as Ensley was still there.

Eckert lived up to that, remaining with the county until about four years after Ensley left the commission.

"He was missed when he left the commission, and he's missed today," Eckert said.

A celebration of life for Ensley will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 14 at Ted Ensley Gardens, 3650 S.E. West Edge Road, according to his obituary.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Colleagues remember the late Shawnee County Commissioner Ted Ensley