Ann Warren Smith

Ann was born in Exeter New Hampshire on March 30, 1954. Her parents were Philip A. Smith and Barbara Ann Taylor. Most of her childhood was spent living on the campus of Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. She described it as a great place to grow up, with lots of boys next door at Episcopal High School, a beautiful campus, and fellow faculty kids to hang out with and cause mischief. She went to college at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida where she met her future husband, Sandon (Sandy) Shepard. They married in 1981. In addition to her Bachelor’s degree from Eckerd, she also got a Masters degree from Framingham State in Massachusetts.

Ann worked for 30 years for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Developmental Services in various jobs from direct care to Service Coordination, to Service Coordinator Supervision. She worked with residents located in Revere, Winthrop and Somerville, Massachusetts. She also worked at the Walter E. Fernald State School in Waltham, MA where she joked that she had to make sure to change out of her bunny slippers before she walked to work. She was very involved in working to place individuals into alternative living arrangements after the Department’s administration decided to close Fernald in the 2000’s. She had to work with many families who were outraged with the decision. She was a witness when the last resident left the facility for a new home and was very proud to have been involved in the process of closing Fernald. Ann was quite happy to take early retirement in 2014.

Before retiring, Ann discovered the joy of birding, and spent many hours searching for birds at Mt. Auburn Cemetery, in Cambridge, MA, where she enjoyed the outdoors and the companionship of other birders. Birding was coupled with a love of traveling, and she and Sandy took many trips over the years including traveling to Kenya, Panama, Belize, and Brazil. She went to China twice. First, she helped her sister Sarah adopt Willa and later went back to China to help search for Willa’s birth parents. In 1996, after spending many March vacations traveling to different Caribbean islands, on a suggestion from Sarah, she and Sandy visited Sanibel. After that, no other islands were necessary, and they vacationed there every year until Sandy retired and they could move to Sanibel and escape winters in 2016.

Ann is survived by her husband, Sandy, her sister Sarah Smith and sister-in-law Nancy Allen of Northampton MA, and a brother Jeremy Smith. She is also survived by her brother and sister-in-law Tamlin and LaVonia Shepard of Riverside, California. In addition, she loved her nieces Camlyn Allen, Willa Smith, Emma Landsman and nephew. Liam Smith. Ann loved animals and is survived by her grey cat Munchkin and her friend Artie the havanese dog.

No service is planned at the moment. There may be a gathering for winter visitors and friends in the spring of 2024 on Sanibel and a gathering of friends in New England in the summer. Arrangements are made through Hodges-Kiser Funeral Home, 9231 Cypress Lake Drive, Ft. Myers, FL. 33919. Questions or comments can be sent to [email protected].

Ann was politically aware and an ardent feminist. She was ever cognizant of slights against her gender and was particularly outraged at the Supreme Court ruling that struck down Roe v. Wade. With that in mind, should anyone wish to make a donation in Ann’s honor, Planned Parenthood would be a worthy recipient (PlannedParenthood.org).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.kiserfh.com for the Smith family.