Ann Whitehurst

1938 - 2020

Ann Whitehurst

Ann Rosemary Whitehurst passed away Dec. 27, 2020, after a brief illness. She was born in Brighton, Sussex, in England on April 22, 1938. A child of the Second World War, she was born to Winifred and Leslie Fleet, with sister Frances Mary arriving in 1944. The Fleet family endured the devastation of the war years and the deprivation of the post-war period with the spirited resolve exhibited by so many of their British countrymen.

After leaving school and working in various local businesses, Ann qualified as a secretary for H.M. Diplomatic Service, departing for her first posting at the British Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1959. Ann's spirit of adventure was to be matched by a young American foreign service officer from New York, James Alexander Smith. Together, they became the toast of diplomatic society and relished every aspect of life in their tropical locale, living a life of "orchids and champagne" as they traveled to Singapore and Bali. They were engaged in 1960 and married at St. Peter's Church in Brighton in 1961, with daughter Elisabeth arriving in 1964 in Arequipa, Peru. The Smith family trio ventured across five continents, with Ann not only orchestrating household moves from Hong Kong to South Africa, Jamaica to France, and Portugal to Egypt, but also decorating, entertaining and learning languages with proficiency. She was a superb foreign-service spouse and enhanced Jim's career in untold ways.

After Jim died in 1989, Ann later met and married Michael Whitehurst. They moved to Arizona in 1995, joining Elisabeth, husband Dana and newborn grandchild, Victoria, who was soon followed by Alexander in 1997. Ann and Mike delighted in their lakeside home in Phoenix and their Pinetop cabin, where they enjoyed summer escapes from the heat. Mike died in 2008, which sadly cut short their retirement plans. Yet Ann carried on in her indomitable fashion, going to Pinetop every summer to enjoy her bridge group, book club, volunteering and entertaining. In her last days, Ann reminisced about her eventful life, expressed great pride in her grandchildren and was soothed by her flower-filled terrace and quiet lake waters.

Ann is survived by daughter Elisabeth, son-in-law Dana (Wisthoff), grandchildren Victoria and Alexander; sister Frances, brother-in-law Geoffrey (Chittenden), nephew Andrew, nieces Emma and Lucy, their spouses and nine great-nieces and nephews.

A memorial Mass is planned for Friday, Jan. 8 at 10 am at the Crosier Priory Church of the Holy Cross, 717 E. Southern Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85040. Socially distanced seating is limited to 50 in the Hall and masks are required.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial gift in Ann's name to the Humane Society of the White Mountains, www.hswm.org.