Ann Gardner New, of Marblehead, passed away in the comfort of her own home on April 3 after a brief illness. She was 78. Born in Boston and raised in Sudbury and Nahant, Ann was a true New Englander who was proud of family roots that trace back to Nantucket’s earliest settlers.
She was a graduate of Concord Academy and Cornell University where she was inducted into the Alpha Phi sorority. While Ann called Marblehead home for most of her adult life, her adventurous spirit took her to far reaches of the globe. Her travels included African safaris, trips to Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, Israel, Turkey, and nearly every European country where she could further her extensive knowledge of art and architecture.
An avid sailor and skier, Ann raced Jolly boats in Nahant and Marblehead as a youth, and blue-water cruised with her husband, the late Paul F. J. New, in their 39-foot sailboat, Crescendo, along the coast of Maine and sometimes joining the crew in delivering the boat back to Marblehead following Bermuda races. She spent much time in New Hampshire’s White Mountains where she hiked Mt. Washington to ski the snowfields and hit the slopes at Wildcat for decades.
Ever constant was her love of animals, particularly dogs. She bred and showed champion Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and in later years campaigned an Australian Shepherd. She was also actively involved in helping run many acclaimed dog shows as an American Kennel Club steward. Ann’s family and friends will remember especially her smart sense of humor and thoughtful generosity.
Ann was the daughter of the late Alfred Gardner and the late Ruth Sherman Gardner. She is survived by her daughter, Christina Pandapas and her husband Kimon of Marblehead; stepdaughter, Stephanie Berube and her husband Roy of Holliston; and four grandchildren: Nicholas and Christopher Pandapas, and Jessica and Jonathan Berube.
ARRANGEMENTS: A Celebration of Life gathering will be held for family and friends in late April. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Ann’s memory to: ASPCA, 520 8th Ave, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10018, www.aspca.org. Arrangements by the Eustis and Cornell Funeral Home, Marblehead. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com
