WORLAND – Longtime Worland resident and longtime visitor of the Washakie County Library Mike Healy has donated $1 million for the Washakie County Commissioners to use at their discretion in the remodeling of the Kennedy Ace Hardware building into the new library once the process officially begins.

Healy got into contact with Commissioner Terry Wolf around the time the commissioners decided to purchase the Kennedy Ace building to start talking about a substantial donation. Healy wanted to do this in honor of his late wife, Jean Bailey Healy, who passed away just over 10 years ago.

“This really fit the bill,” Healy said. “My wife was an English major in college and loved to read and write, I thought it would be a nice tribute to her to make an investment in the library that I think is long reaching and has been around for a long time and influences the community as a whole.”

Healy was raised in Worland and has been a part of four generations (including his son) who have lived in the Big Horn Basin. Healy went on to serve in the Army after college, and spend a little bit of time outside of Worland prior to moving back in the early 1980s and living here ever since managing the family owned and operated LU Ranch.