The impact that the late Mark Cady, a Fort Dodge man who was the chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court, had on our state continues to be recognized.

He was recently named the recipient of the Friend of the County Award when county supervisors from across the state gathered for a meeting in Des Moines. Webster County Supervisor Mark Campbell presented the award to Rebecca Cady, who is the chief justice’s widow.

We’re hard pressed to think of someone more worthy of the honor.

Cady was honored for his commitment to making sure everyone had access to justice and the legal system in Iowa.

Cady died Nov. 15, 2019, at age 66, of a heart attack.

He was appointed a district associate judge in 1983 and a district court judge in 1986. In 1994, he was appointed to the Iowa Court of Appeals.

He was elected chief judge of the Court of Appeals in 1997. The following year he was named to the state Supreme Court. Cady had served on the Supreme Court since 1998 and was elected chief justice by his fellow justices in 2011.

Campbell said it was an honor to be able to present the award to Rebecca Cady.

During his remarkable career, Cady’s work in the judicial system likely touched the lives of all Iowans in some manner. And he did that in an even-handed manner that made him a model of what a good judge should be.