Ann M. Hornbeck

1948 - 2025

Ann M. Hornbeck

May 12, 1948 - July 31, 2025

Ann Hornbeck died at home with her dogs and family by her side. She was a devoted mother, grandmother and wife, a teacher, adventurer, artist and a force to be reckoned with, always ready with an opinion. Her family and friends miss her terribly.

Born May 12, 1948 in Buffalo, Ann Marie Crowe was the third of Walter and Madeline (Travers) Crowe's five children. She was 19 when she met Peter Hornbeck. They were married on Aug. 16, 1969 and after completing college they set off to the Adirondacks to take jobs as schoolteachers. The move was Pete's idea. He craved wilderness. Ann quickly adapted and came to love rural life. In 1972, the couple bought a house along Trout Brook Road in Olmstedville where Ann learned to swear and wield a sledgehammer, which she used to take down walls to make the tiny rooms bigger. She instilled the value of independence in her only child, a daughter born in 1975. She taught Lee to walk in high heels and hiking boots. She taught her she could do anything.

Ann taught social studies at Minerva Central School for three decades. She worked to expand the worldview of the children growing up in a tiny town and encouraged each one to reach their potential.

Ann and Pete started Hornbeck Boats in 1973. It was Pete's dream to build boats. Ann was his biggest supporter and advisor. An Adirondack icon was born when Ann told Pete to add a red stripe to the Kevlar boats so they wouldn't look like urine samples bobbing on the water.

Ann and Pete enjoyed many adventures, including a cross-country drive to Alaska, a visit to Iceland and the Netherlands. They vacationed for many years on St. George's Island in Florida and explored the American Southwest.

Ann retired from teaching in 2002 and took up quilting. She made non-traditional quilts and wall hangings depicting the nature surrounding her.

In 2009, Ann achieved a long-awaited goal when she became a grandmother. She relished the role as Rushton and Devlin's "Gamma," short for gamma ray and a nod to her intensity and energy.

Ann said she lived a charmed life until she turned 70. In 2019, she was diagnosed with brain cancer, a form of lymphoma. Chemotherapy drove it into remission. In 2020, Pete died suddenly of a heart attack the day after Christmas, ending a 51-year partnership. Their marriage was not without hard times but she loved the life they built. The key to marriage is finding someone who makes you laugh, Ann said.

In 2021, Ann's cancer returned. Every treatment gave her more time: more walks in her beloved woods with dogs by her side, more chances to travel and visit with her sister, Eileen Cash, more days paddling, more games of mahjong with her friends and more time with her grandsons. Ann faced grief and cancer with grit and determination. She died in the house she and Pete built, in view of the woods she cherished.

In addition to her daughter, son-in-law and grands, Ann is survived by her siblings: Terry (Carey Jo) Crowe, Kathie Crowe, Teresa (David) Paoleschi and Eileen Cash as well as nieces and nephews. She is held in beloved memory by many friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Ann's memory may be made to North Country Public Radio, North Country Public Radio, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY 13617 or High Peaks Hospice, 1247 Dix Ave, Hudson Falls, NY 12839.

A celebration of Ann's life will be held at Hornbeck Boats, 131 Trout Brook Road, Olmstedville NY at 1 p.m. Sept. 14. Wear shoes for a walk in the woods.