Anna Mae Rowe

Anna was born in Connellsville, Pa., Aug. 21st, 1944, Anna Mae Hogan, to Florence Blanche and William Frances. She was the second youngest and youngest daughter in a family of 10. She had 2 older sisters and 7 brothers. She attended Ohio University where she got both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in English.

She taught at Ohio University for two years and also Youngstown University for three years. She was married during those three years to creative writing specialist, Ron Rowe. During those three summers, Anna traveled with Ron and his family through Europe.

After her marriage ended, Anna moved to Connecticut. First, Hartford, where she became a social worker for the state of Connecticut for 200+ families. She lived in Hartford for three years. Then New Haven, where she also worked for the state of Connecticut as a counselor for the Connecticut Mental Health Center, overseen by the Yale Department of Psychiatry. She counseled people, individually and in groups. She also lived in New Haven for three years.

She then moved to London and lived there mostly with Gus, for five years. She worked and traveled to places as diverse as Melbourne, Crete, Paris, Capetown and Johannesburg. Overall, Anna traveled in 20 countries.

After parting with Gus, she returned to the USA to meet up with her niece Judy in San Francisco.

In San Francisco, she worked as a paralegal, legal assistant, temporary legal secretary and seller of rare books on EBAY.

Anna met Fred in 2003 and enjoyed dining with him at over 500 restaurants in and around San Francisco. They dined at many, multiple times. They always celebrated holidays and birthdays together. Anna enjoyed movies, plays, speakers, museums, galleries, comedy shows, parties, operas, ballets, symphonies and other events, mostly with Fred. She was an avid reader who participated in book discussion groups and particularly enjoyed reading the New Yorker.

Anna was sweet, kind, warm, smart and wonderful.

She had friends and family members, all over the country, with whom she corresponded regularly. She always had a kind word for people and her beautiful face and warm smile, made just about everyone feel better to be around her.

Fred, her boyfriend of nearly 20 years, loved and adored her and was proud of her love for him. She called Fred "her rock".

The world is a sadder place without Anna. Her illness started with a lack of eating and repeated falls. She died, after nearly 4 months in hospitals and nursing homes.

Anna will be dearly missed by Fred and her many other friends, her older brother Jim, and Barbara Hogan of Mount Pleasant, Pa., her younger brother David, and Debbie Hogan of Thomasville, Ga., Ed Hood of Pittsburgh, Pa., John Maier of Brockport, NY. And 24 nieces and nephews. Anna was predeceased by older sisters Dee and Helen and older brothers Bob, Walt, Blair, Bill, and Raymie.