Ann Helene Hadfield

Ann passed away at Pine Run Health Center in Doylestown, PA on May 3, 2023, a week after her 97th birthday. She was born April 26, 1926, growing up in Wilmington and Arden, DE.

Ann graduated as Valedictorian from Wilmington High School in 1943. She played flute in the orchestra and marching band and worked on the newspaper. She attended Syracuse University, graduating with a B.A. (Magna Cum Laude) in 1947 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She played in the Syracuse Marching and Concert Bands and was Class Secretary.

Ann worked as a research assistant at Merck in Rahway, NJ, went on to Sharp and Dohme in Glenolden & Philadelphia, PA, and later in Bacteriology for the merged Merck, Sharp and Dohme in West Point, PA.

She married her husband, Kenneth, on August 25, 1950, and they lived in Arden, Glenolden, Radnor, and Bedminster Twp., PA. They had a son, Alan, born February 2, 1957. She was an elementary school substitute teacher in the Pennridge School District for 9 years.

Ken and Ann moved to Pine Run Retirement Community in February 2000. At Pine Run, she was very involved, serving on the Board of Trustees of the Parvee Foundation, the Tuesday Night Program Committee, the Saturday Night Movie Committee, and volunteering at the Health Center playing sing-a-longs for the residents.

Music was a major part of Ann's life. She studied violin, piano, and began flute lessons in 7th grade. She continued through high school and well beyond. Ann played flute and piccolo with the Delaware Valley College Community Concert Band, beginning in March 2000. Playing in this intergenerational band (~2/3 students to ~1/3 community members) was very special to Ann. She also helped the band's Director, Dr. Jack Schmidt, with local publicity. One of the students and Ann were set to perform the piccolo solo in "The Stars and Stripes Forever". As they rehearsed, she asked the student if she could guess how long it had been since she played that piece in concert. To the student's amazement she told her "57 years"!

The other big element in Ann's life was politics. She was raised in a very political family, a family that believed that politics could help those in need and provide good government for their communities. Her dad, Sigmund Schorr, was a DE State Representative and served as Chairman of the Board of Elections of New Castle County, DE for many years. Ann worked tirelessly on many campaigns and elections over the years. She served as the Democratic Co-Committeeperson for Doylestown Township District 2, which includes Pine Run. She earned the respect of others by being honest with them. A prominent local role in the Carter campaigns earned her a trip to the White House in 1980 for a Georgia BBQ on the South Lawn.

In 2008, she did something new to her in politics. She had always supported others for elected office, but this time she ran to be a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO pledged to Senator Barack Obama for President. She was elected to the post with 38,429 votes. The first convention she attended was in 1936 in Philadelphia with her family. The 2008 convention was a thrilling experience, one she never forgot. In another political first for her, Ann traveled to Washington, DC for the Inauguration of President Barack Obama in January 2009. Ann was proud to have never missed voting in an election since she was eligible to vote.

Ann was preceded in death by her husband Ken and her sister Sonia Sloan. She is survived by her son Alan and wife Jackie of Tucson, AZ, granddaughter Courtney Gomez and her children James and Isabel, brother-in-law Gilbert Sloan, nephews Victor and Jonathan Sloan and William and Brian Colona, and their families. A memorial service is being planned for later this year. Donations in memory of Ann to The Carter Center or Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County would be welcome.