Ann Aiken Koonce

Ann Aiken Koonce of Raleigh passed away at Rex Hospital on Saturday morning, June 2, 2018 at the age of 81, after a brief illness. She was surrounded by family. Ann was a beloved mother, grandmother and friend who will be remembered for her deep love and commitment to her family and friends, and also for her enduring work as an educator.

An only child, Ann was born in Hickory, NC on April 20, 1937 to the late John Will Aiken and Annie Killian Aiken. Ann graduated from Hickory High School and was a 1959 graduate of Duke University (A.B. History). She started her career as a teacher at J.E.B. Stuart High School in Fairfax County, VA, before moving to Raleigh to teach U.S. History at Needham B. Broughton High School in 1961. She married Marvin Burke Koonce, Jr. in 1969.

Ann was active in a number of community organizations including the Junior League of Raleigh and the N.C. Museum of History, but her work as an educator was her greatest passion. Ann was first elected to the Wake County Board of Education in 1981 in the aftermath of the landmark decision to merge the Wake County school system with the Raleigh city schools. Her decade-long work on the school board, including two terms as Chairman, contributed to the creation of the magnet schools and helped build the strong public school system that has become one of Wake County’s most important assets. Always putting the classroom before politics and clear on her opinions, Ann tirelessly worked for the improvement of education in Wake County.

Ann is survived by her three children: Marvin Burke Koonce III and wife, Adora, of Raleigh; John Aiken Koonce and wife, Suzie, of Raleigh, and Ann Koonce Bond and husband, Dr. Thomas Kermit Bond, of Lafayette, LA. Her seven grandchildren also survive her: Marvin; Adora; Helen; Liza; Thomas; Aiken; and Jack. She was preceded in death by her husband Marvin in 2002.

Ann was warm and strong, her exacting standards balanced by a sly sense of humor. Ann loved birdwatching, gardening, dogs, politics, galax leaves, and the mountains. Her summers meant peaches, tomatoes, half-runner beans, and Litchfield Beach. Throughout her retirement, she enjoyed reconnecting with former students and colleagues. Ann was an avid reader and was an ardent supporter of all things Duke University, especially the basketball team. She loved watching sports, particularly ACC basketball, in the company of her loved ones, including her longtime canine companion Oscar. Postgame telephone calls were standard protocol.

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, June 5th, at 2:00 pm, at White Memorial Presbyterian Church. Following the service the family will greet friends in the Jane Bell Gathering Space at White Memorial.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to White Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1704 Oberlin Rd. Raleigh, NC 27608.

Arrangements by Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 300 Saint Mary's St., Raleigh, NC.