I am not  sure when I first read Stone Soup, but I remember the impact it had on me. The sly, tricky way the stranger elicited cooperation so that all in the village could eat well was one of those “Ahaa” moments that still resonates with me. I remember reading that story to my children never realizing that someday I would meet the author, Ann McGovern.

Ann was a force of nature: Intelligent, curious, opinionated, generous and driven.  Once you were in her orbit you needed to let go and enjoy the ride until you spun out of her orbit once again. Grandmother to our daughter’s fiancé, we were the recipients of Ann’s hospitality many times, while visiting our daughter in NY and each time I was struck by her adventurous spirit, passion, artistic interests and love of life.

A prolific author of children’s books and poetry, Ann wrote about what inspired and interested her. From Stone Soup to a story about the tiny house in NY that she lived in, to scuba diving which was one of her passions, to stories about inspiring women like Harriet Tubman, Deborah Sampson or Eugenie Clark, the Shark Lady and even social issues like homelessness, Ann wrote from her own experiences, sharing what she knew and loved and in the process inspired and taught her readers to follow their own passions and dreams.

At her memorial service on September 10, family and friends gathered to celebrate the life of a remarkable woman who on facing into her own mortality penned this poem:

Obit

She died of too much amazement at this life

and insatiable curiosity about the next.

Already she’s started a poem about the fog lifting

and the chocolates. They have different names there.

What a relief. There are no genders.

Only sex.

And sometimes peace,

Sometimes painted, sometimes danced.

Everyone is over eighty

In robust health and quick of mind.

Say your favorite color and the ethereal

designer will dye your hair to match.

You’ll learn Argentinean tango in one day

and all the old songs will come in to your head.

Eventually you’ll see for yourself.

Thank you, Ann!