Ann Maylie Bruce

1942 - 2019

Ann Maylie Bruce was born in New Orleans 76 years ago, the only child of the late restaurateurs Anna May Deano Maylie and William Leon Maylie. She attended Miss Edith Aiken's School for Little People; graduated from the Louise S. McGehee School and attended Newcomb College where she majored in art. She worked for several years at the Parrish Travel Agency, was an associate in U.S. Representative Robert Livingston's New Orleans office, and worked for Naomi Marshall at the Downtown Gallery. After her marriage, she and her husband traveled extensively, once spending several months in Scotland. She particularly liked Budapest and the Puszta, the vast uninhabited Hungarian plain. Vienna was also a favorite; she and her husband, both music lovers, especially enjoyed the Strauss waltzes during the several months they lived there. Ann had a lifelong interest in the history and traditions of New Orleans and volunteered at the Hermann-Grima House teaching open hearth cooking and giving tours and lectures. She was a member of Le Petit Salon, the Quarante Club, and was a past president of the McGehee Alumnae Association. She held the position of McGehee's Representative of the Class of 1960 until her death. She was enthusiastic and curious about almost everything, frequently cajoling her friends to jump on the bandwagon with her. She raised butterflies and cried when they flew off, attempted to start a bee colony, and was noted for her iconic little Carnival paintings and miniature quilts, two of which were included in a juried regional exhibit at the Ogden Museum. She is survived by her loving husband of 40 years, Robert Nolan Bruce, Jr., two step-children, her aunt Tinkie Deano Hale, and many cousins and friends of all ages too numerous to count. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass in the chapel of the Poor Clares of New Orleans Monastery, 720 Henry Clay Ave., New Orleans, LA 70118 on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 3:00 PM. Visitation with the family will begin at 2:00 PM, with a reception to follow after the Mass at the Louise S. McGehee School, 2343 Prytania St., New Orleans, LA 70130. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Louise S. McGehee School, the Ochsner Clinic Foundation, or to a charity of choice. Arrangements entrusted to Neptune Society of New Orleans.