Ann St.Clair Lesman

Ann St. Clair Lesman, 85, of Millwood, Virginia died peacefully at home with her husband by her side on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
Ann was born July 8, 1940 in Boston, the daughter of John Townsend Burwell, Jr. and Patricia Moorhead Burwell. As a child she lived in many places around the country before settling in St. Petersburg, Florida for high school.
She received a Bachelor's degree from Rollins College, a Master's degree from Duke University, and a Doctorate in Spanish from the University of Maryland. As a scholar she specialized in Romance languages and Spanish linguistics.
She married Robert George Lesman on August 27, 1969 in York, Pennsylvania, where they both taught at York College.
In her more than 50-year career as an educator, she also taught at Baltimore City College, Northern Virginia Community College, and American University.
For the last two decades of her career, Ann was a Professor of Spanish at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. She was admired by students, though they were often stunned by her requirement that they speak in class only in the language being taught. She led several student-faculty service trips to impoverished communities in Latin America. At her retirement in 2015, the university named her Professor Emerita.
She was active as a volunteer in the Clarke County – Winchester community, serving on many boards and committees. She was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Shenandoah Valley, Clarke County Rotary Club, Torch Club, and the Greenway Garden Club. Ann was also a talented artist; in retirement she was a member of the Friday Painters group in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Robert George Lesman ("Bob"); her son Charles Donaldson Lesman ("Chad"), and daughter in law, Tricia Lesman, of Winchester, Virginia; her son William Alexander Lesman ("Alex") of New York City; her daughter in law, Julie Lesman, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania; six grandchildren-to whom she was "Nana"-Madison Lesman, Claire Lesman, Kieran Lesman, Sabina Lesman, Ilán Lesman, and Kai Lesman; one great granddaughter, Daphne Tabourn, as well as extended family.
She was preceded in death by a son, Robert St. Clair Lesman, and a sister, Laurie Brady.
Burial will be in Burwell Cemetery in Clarke County, Virginia. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to World Central Kitchen, Attn: Donor Services Team, PO Box 9653,Washington DC 20090 or online at wck.org/donate or to Doctors Without Borders, P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741 or online at doctorswithoutborders.org.
Online condolences may be left at www.jonesfuneralhomes.com