What a loss…  our dear, Ann.  She was a very special person!  Her amazing smile, her positive take on life, and her “contagious” sense of humour were freely shared with everyone.  She was a leader and a doer;  quick to get involved in helping bring joy to others around her in doing any job to be done.

We fondly remember many adventures with Ann and Thomas.  Especially the ten days we spent with them at their duplex in Twillingate, Nfld some years ago.  Also the Alzheimer’s Walkathons and other fundraising events Ann and Sheila would organize each year.  Also we would go for cookouts, gathering sap, boiling and fun always in Spring outings to our Sugar Bush each year at Skeleton Lake.

Ann and Sheila enjoyed many happy times for many years playing hockey on the “Bala Ice Girls” team. There was always lots of laughter to be had by all.

So many good memories of great times we all had.  Ann’s life has enriched the lives of countless people just by who she was.

Thomas, you are in our thoughts!  And we send our condolences to you, Kim and Jeremy and their families and Ann’s sisters Gail and Janie and their families.

To Be Loved by Ann – by Thomas Knight

I pictured everyone talking about Ann’s wonderful personality and recounting many times she brought joy into his or her life. So I decided to take a different approach, and I would like to talk about how it felt to be loved by Ann.

When I first realized that Ann and I were in love, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was that this beautiful woman loved me! And every day since, I have marveled at my good fortune to be loved by Ann.

Our relationship was simple. Anything that brought each other joy, we were happy to do, and living like this brought us joy. My purpose in life was to love Ann.

I have been happy to do things for Ann, and now, to be the man that Ann has helped me to be, I still have to be happy to do the things that Ann wanted. To be loved by Ann was a blessing to be paid forward.

I am grateful. I am a lucky guy to have been loved by Ann for fifty-five years. I built our house, and Ann made it a home. I attended the party, but Ann made it fun. I was happy to work, and Ann to organize. We raised Jeremy and Kimberly in a loving home... that was organized.

Ann gave and gave and gave and gave some more. Sometimes I foolishly complained that she (and also you because you loved her) had to not only go the “second mile” but also the third, the fourth, the fifth mile. We not only had to have Toody, her mom, come to stay with us every summer, but it had to be for two weeks!

In retrospect, Ann was right. I am sorry that I complained that we always had to go the extra mile. Ann was right, and I loved her for making me more in every way.

Ann was a giving person, and I loved her for it. Ann had a twinkle in her eye, and I loved her for it. Ann had an original, one-of-a-kind sense of humour, and I loved her for it. Ann was an advocate of justice, and I loved her for it. Ann made me pay attention, and I loved her for it. Ann was stubborn, and I loved her for it. Ann made me laugh and cry, and I loved her for it. Ann stepped up when needed, and I loved her for it. Ann wanted the tea towel folded and the bed made, and I loved her for it... and I also did it... for Ann, because Ann was my everything. And I will still do it because I was loved by Ann.

Yes, I cry. I sob with despair for the loss of Ann and the pain of cancer she suffered. However, the pain Ann felt most was in knowing she wouldn’t see the future milestones and adventures of her family! Ann felt ripped off, and rightly so! I cry with despair for Ann to have suffered the loss of continuing to love and support her family and friends and future friends. But I take some solace in knowing that Ann’s love will continue to impact everyone who knew her... everyone who was loved by Ann.

I have always felt it strange that, although she loved music, playing ukulele and singing hymns in church, Ann didn’t listen to music at home or in her car... it interfered with her thinking, she said. Kind of frustrating for a songwriter husband who has written her a hundred love songs!

Two nights before Ann died, I was awakened from my cot beside her in hospice when Ann called my name. At this point in Ann’s suffering, she had never been fully lucid under the pain meds needed to quell her pain, and only lucid while still in pain. So I was shocked to hear Ann speaking clearly to me. Immediately, I asked about her pain level, ready to get the nurse, but Ann said that she was pain free and wanted to tell me something. “Tom, Tom!” she repeated. “I really love all the love songs you have written for me!” We hugged and we kissed, and we had a good talk. I am so grateful that Ann (with God’s help, I believe) pulled herself out of the fog of the pain meds to comfort me that night. This is how it was to be loved by Ann.

Thomas

It has taken me weeks to figure out what I could possibly say about the loss of “Our Annie”.  She has been one of my dearest friends for 50 years.  We have been through a lifetime of celebrations and wonderful adventures together with our families and friends.  Ann has always been there for the difficult times as well. 

Her amazing spirit, her bright, bright inner light and her wicked sense of humour will always live in our memories.  “Our Annie” will never be forgotten. Love you, Annie!

My deepest condolences to Thomas, Kim and Jeremy and their families.  I would also like to extend condolences to Ann’s sisters Gail, Janie and their families  

Love, 

Jill  (or as Ann called me, Jill Bob)❤️

I fondly remember all the happy times our families spent together when our kids were young. Deb and Ann were quite the pair. Alyssa, Jonathan and I would like to express our deepest condolences to you, Jeremy and Kim.

George 

I recently received the news in Alberta about Ann and was truly shocked and saddened. I was one of Ann’s fellow bell ringers for 10 years and we enjoyed many laughs together during that time. I still have the beautiful funny  song she wrote for me when we moved west. Ann always had a smile and really cared about all those who were fortunate enough to have known her. My heartfelt condolences to Tom, Kim and Jeremy and families during this difficult time. I hope the good memories of Ann( mom) will comfort you all in the days to come.

Peggy De Forge 

I was deeply saddened and shocked by the news of Ann’s passing. My heart goes out to your family during this incredibly difficult time.

Thom and Ann were a couple I truly admired. When I was 15, I came to Canada from Japan as an exchange student, and I was fortunate to be welcomed into their home one winter. Even nearly twenty years later, I still remember it clearly - the warmth of their home, the kindness they showed me, and the feeling of being cared for so generously.

Ann and Thom wanted me to truly experience Canada. They shared unforgettable moments with me, including making maple syrup, skiing in their backyard, and enjoying many wonderful meals together. Though I was a stranger from a faraway country, they treated me with genuine love and openness. For someone who had not grown up in a warm family environment, their kindness left a deep and lasting impression on my life.

Ann always greeted people with a warm smile, and she was deeply loved by everyone who knew her. Through the time I spent with her and Thom, I learned the importance of kindness, love, and cherishing family—lessons I carry with me to this day.

I had the opportunity to visit Bracebridge two years ago and see Ann again, and she was just as warm and full of life as ever, which makes this loss especially difficult to accept.

Please know that Ann’s kindness and love continue to live on through the many lives she touched. I am deeply grateful for the time I was able to spend with her and for the love she shared.

With heartfelt sympathy, You are deeply missed. 

Moemi