Ann, 83, was born in England and came to the U.S. to work as a nanny in Connecticut. That’s where, at a dance hall, she met the man who would become her husband. Together, Jere’ and Ann raised their three daughters until a tragic, winter day in 1982.
Master Sgt. Jere’, an aircraft gunner, was on a routine training mission aboard a Boeing B52 when it suddenly crashed to the ground and was destroyed – killing all nine crew members.
In an instant, life changed for Ann and her teenage daughters. Yet, Ann tells me that they didn’t feel alone. “The Air Force family was wonderful… immediately, they stepped up to take care of us.”
Ann’s life today at Bob Hope Village is filled with cheer, friendship, and a host of engaging and healthy activities — including dancing. “Each Friday, we gather for happy hour and play songs and dance. It’s such a fabulous time!”
In fact, it’s the friendships Ann has made here that she appreciates most. “Everyone is just so nice to each other and so helpful. We all look after each other. It’s been absolutely wonderful, just wonderful.”
And it’s not just the relationships that Ann has formed with fellow residents that makes living here so special. She also gushes over the wonderful staff — including a service coordinator who residents refer to as “Happy Sharon” because of her always delightful and sunny disposition.
“It was the week before Mother’s Day last year during the pandemic, and I was making out my shopping list. I asked if anyone was going to the store. Sharon said, “she was going, so I gave her my list. Later, she knocked on my door and had bags filled with TWICE as many items as I had jotted down. I told her I would write her a check. She said, “You don’t owe me anything; this is your Mother’s Day gift!” I just cried… the tears really started flowing.”
Anne’s not the only one happy she’s at Air Force Enlisted Village.
“My three daughters are so very, very happy that I’m here. Otherwise, I’d be living in an apartment in Kentucky, where I’d feel so isolated and alone,” says 83-year-old Ann.
At Air Force Enlisted Village, Ann participates in dancing and swimming and has many friends and neighbors so she never feels alone.
