ANN B. SAKOWITZ

ANN B. SAKOWITZ and her beloved late husband, Bernard Sakowitz, were reunited on the 18th of January 2010. Since Bernard's passing in 1981, Ann frequently jested that he'd be waiting impatiently for her with a typical comment of, ``What took you so long?''

What delayed their reunion was a busy life that Ann lived to the fullest with friendships, family and dedication to her city of Houston. Born on the 28th of July 1913 in San Antonio, Texas, she was the daughter of Victor Baum and Sarah Rosenman Baum, and the youngest of six siblings. Ann attended Rice Institute and married Bernard, after a whirlwind courtship, on the 20th of July 1933. From the beginning they enjoyed an interesting life together as Houston and his family's specialty store business grew over the decades. When Bernard enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Corps in early 1942, the family of four was moved to San Angelo, Texas, where he was commissioned to run the Post Exchanges (PXs) at Concho and Goodfellow Fields; Ann's charm, beauty, and wit became legend there. After a brief Army-family move to Boston, they returned to Houston at World War II's end, and resumed their busy business, family and social life. Ann became a Vice President of Sakowitz Bros., later Sakowitz, Inc., and helped grow the family's fashion specialty store chain, which was headquartered in Houston until 1990. She traveled the world over with Bernard, making friends and finding resources in assisting the store's buyers to select choices she knew her Houstonian friends would want.

In many other ways Ann has been committed to serving Houston; she loved her city and it's individualism. Some of her civic involvement and activities include her being a co-founding member of the Board of Directors of the Society for the Performing Arts (SPA), she was Vice President 1966-69, President 1969-1978, and a continuing member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors for a total of forty-four years. Ann was a trustee of the Moores School of Music Society, and was recently honored as one of the school's first Trustee Emeriti. She was active in numerous other arts organizations, including the Alley Theatre, the Houston Ballet Foundation, and Combined Corporate Arts Campaign. She was a Trustee of the Houston Civic Theatre and also a charter member of the original Chamber of Commerce's Houston Festival, predecessor to the current iFest. During her husband Bernard's two-term chairmanship of the Houston Chamber of Commerce in 1970-72, she assisted him in promoting the city's cultural and commercial efforts both at home and abroad.

In areas involving medicine, she served as an active member of the Advisory Board of the University of Texas Health Science Center, the Houston Speech and Hearing Center, the Red Cross, the Houston Council for the Prevention of Blindness, and Cancer Fighters of the South.

Her interest in people, civic affairs, and other cultures led her to participation on the Boards of the YWCA, where she was Chairman of the Public Relations Committee for six years, a member of the Budget Committee for the United Fund, a member of the Japan-American Society of Houston, the Houston Pan-America Society, the Executive Committee of the International Institute of Education (IIE), and a founding Governor of The Forum Club of Houston. Ann has been singularly recognized for her long-standing participation in the Houston Shakespeare Society in 2006, the Moores School of Music, and the SPA, and received accolades as a Crones/Colitis Woman of Distinction as well as the Houston Chronicle's Best Dressed Women of Houston.

Ann had a passion for life and enjoyment in those she met and rarely failed to charm upon meeting. In her later years, she was a veritable Grande Dame, who in spite of painful scoliosis carried on with numerous social commitments during the week, and gardening at the family's East Texas Thunderbird Ranch on weekends. A legendary joke-teller and dialectician, Ann was known by many for her quick and infectious smile, seemingly boundless energy, and her love of life and people. She had a fascination with languages and well-turned phrases. A rapacious reader of three to four books a week, she loved to learn, and had a tremendous respect for knowledge and those worldly-wise individuals who held it. ``Champagne Annie'' enchanted friends with conversation, tales and advice, and played gin rummy and poker weekly with a regular group of long-standing girl-friends. She loved to bring diverse groups of people together, and extolled the contrasts of life. Counselor, confidante and friend for many who chose to seek her advice and comfortable shoulder on which to lean-or-cry. Ann was rarely without an opinion. She agreed that the clichéd phrase ``not always correct but rarely in doubt'' applied to her. Although consummately diplomatic socially, one could always count on her to ``tell it like it was.'' Your always knew where you stood with Ann.

She is survived by her two children, Lynn Sakowitz Wyatt and Robert T. Sakowitz; eight grandchildren: Robert T. Sakowitz, Jr., Alexandra Noelle Sakowitz, Brittany Ann Sakowitz, Laura Alexis Sakowitz, Steven Bradford Wyatt, Douglas Bryan Wyatt, Oscar Sherman ``Trey'' Wyatt III, and Bradford Allington Wyatt; and three great-grandchildren: Ford Wyatt, Catherine Ann Wyatt, and Leo Barrett Sakowitz; as well as many close-family nieces and nephews. Ann rejoiced in the accomplishments of her family and friends, and was quick to call with her words of encouragement and enthusiasm.

Friends are cordially invited to gather with the family and share remembrances from half-past four o'clock in the afternoon until half-past seven o'clock in the evening on Saturday, the 23rd of January, in the Library and Grand Foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

The memorial service is to be conducted at four o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday, the 24th of January, at Congregation Beth Israel, 5600 North Braeswood Boulevard in Houston, where David A. Lyon, Senior Rabbi, and Robert M. Gerber, Cantor, are to officiate.

Immediately following the service, all are invited to join the family for a reception in the adjacent Levy Memorial Hall of the temple.

Serving as honorary pallbearers are Ralph Belasco, Mike Crew, Steve Farrel, Peter Jacoby, Peter Martino, Toby Mattox, Will McClendon, Joe Peck, Bernard Wolf, and Dennis Wright. The family also desires to acknowledge and extend their heartfelt gratitude to Leslie Bennett and Sybil Belasco.

Prior to the memorial service, the family will have gathered for a private entombment service at the Sakowitz Family Mausoleum at Beth Israel Cemetery at West Dallas in Houston.

In lieu of customary remembrances, and for those who so desire, Ann has requested that contributions in her memory be directed to the Society for the Performing Arts, 615 Louisiana St., Ste. 100, Houston, TX, 77002; or to Prevent Blindness Texas, 2202 Waugh Dr., Houston, TX, 77006.