[As appeared in The New York Times on November 14, 2021]
Ann Sharon Weiner, 81, passed on peacefully on Saturday, November 6, 2021. She lost a long, courageous battle with pancreatic cancer at her home in Westport, CT with her loving family by her side.
Ann leaves behind a beautiful family: her two cherished children Gregory and Devin Weiner from Norwalk, CT; her long-time, loving friend, Paul Burger, her niece Stacy Waldman Bass and her family, her nephew David Waldman and his family, all from Westport, CT; her nephews Jay and Todd Myers and their families; along with the innumerable friends whose lives she touched. She will be deeply and profoundly missed.
Ann was predeceased by her beloved husband, Sidney in 2017. Their 50-year marriage has always been considered the paragon of devotion by their family and numerous friends alike. Ann is also predeceased by her two adult children, Darcy and Glenn, and her parents Enoch and Leah Waldman.
Born August 26, 1940 in New York, Ann completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in Fine Arts at Queens College. She subsequently pursued careers as a high school art teacher and as the designer/art director for noted apparel companies, Sportswear by Pronto and Ann W, receiving several prestigious fashion industry awards before devoting herself full time to a career as an exhibiting artist.
Ann participated in numerous solo and group art exhibits throughout the country over the course of her career as a distinguished artist. Her most recent exhibit, When Caged Birds Sing, reflects her passionate work as a women’s advocate. The exhibit opened in 2017 at Brown University and is now a permanent exhibit at Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) in Westport, CT. Ann was also the recipient of the Silvermine Living Art Award for her tremendous impact in the art community.
In addition to being an award-winning fashion designer, women’s advocate, and renowned artist, Ann was a lifelong philanthropist. She worked tirelessly with Amnesty International as a result of her dedication to human rights crises. She and her late husband Sidney also sponsored the Glendarcy House, part of Westport’s “A Better Chance”, an organization aimed at facilitating education for minority youth.
The service for Ann will be held on Thursday, November 18, 2021, 11:00 a.m. at MoCA, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT, 06880. In lieu of flowers, any contributions can be made to in memory of Sid and Ann Weiner to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research (lustgarten.org) or the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation (npcf.us).
Photo Credit: Original Image by Stacy Bass Photography (cropped for this usage)