Rich (Elliott), Ann
Eva Ann Elliott-Rich was like any young child, dreaming of a big life. For her it was traveling the world.
Upon her death one can look back on a life well lived.
Ann Rich passed on a quiet Sunday morning, March 17, 2024 in Arlington, Texas after a brief illness at the age of 93.
A Midwest girl from Springfield, Ohio, she worked at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton where she met her life-long companion whom she was married to for 63 years, Jim Rich. Jim's service in the Air Force took them many places around the world, and Ann worked in Civil Service for most of those years. They spent a year in Okinawa, Japan, several years in Germany and France, and in the states, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Tacoma, Washington. Upon Jim's retirement from the Air Force, they found Texas as their home. She continued to work until she was 82.
They lived in Brownsville, Texas for six years, where she obtained her realtor's license, Garland, Texas for eight years, where she worked in Dallas at the World Trade Center for the Hong Kong Government, and eventually Kerrville, Texas for more than 35 years, where she worked in retail and store management for several shops in the Hill Country and San Antonio. She loved retail and anything that had to do with shopping or helping others shop. Ann was always busy, and could never "just sit" as she would say.
Each stop in their travels brought new lifetime friends. Name a town and stories of friends and family and their adventures would begin Germany, when they got lost driving with Don and Joan, and the guard at Checkpoint Charlie began waving them into East Berlin. Ann yelled from the back seat to Jim, STOP! Crisis averted, and they would laugh about it later. -Paris, where they spent their first night in a hotel with their son, and one-year-old baby girl who began to cry. They were told by the manager that the baby is not allowed to cry, so they had to drive around Paris until she fell asleep. -South Padre Island, where Ann's granddaughters convinced her to go on a banana boat ride in the Gulf of Mexico even though she couldn't swim.
These are just a few of the many stories.
Along the way Jim and Ann's family grew. She was the proud mother of two children- son James Michael, and daughter Julie Anne. Then six grandchildren Sarah, Megan, Christy, Annie, Megan, Aldrick, and 7 great grandchildren. In addition, she leaves behind her brother Harry Elliott of Springfield, Ohio, and his wife Beverly. Countless nieces and nephews. She was proceeded in death by her sister, Helen Huddle, father, Harry Elliott, mother, Eva Collins Pruden, and her lifelong companion, her husband, Jim Rich.
Besides her passion for traveling, she loved her family, and she always had a snack waiting for a granddaughter coming over after school or a weary traveling friend who made the trek to her home for a visit. A hot meal, and a comfortable bed was always waiting.
A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. at Everyday Church, Saturday, June 1 in Springfield, Ohio. A reception will follow. Funeral services are pending at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington Va.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking donations be made in Ann's name to the JDRF Diabetes Foundation.