Ann
Ann Rynearson
d. September 27, 2018
Ann was the oldest child of Dr. and Mrs. W.E. Manry, Jr. of Lake Wales. Her passion for education began when she was in kindergarten in Jacksonville and continued throughout her life. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Tulane University and her doctorate in Cultural Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. Her love of knowledge was encyclopedic and infectious even after she retired; during the last nine years of her life, she reveled in her classes at the Life Long Learning Institute at Washington University.
Ann’s career was spent almost exclusively at the International Institute of St. Louis where she worked with refugees from around the world. She believed that refugees should be encouraged to continue their cultural heritage when they came to this country and, as Executive Vice President, help found the International Folkfest which grew into what is now the Festival of Nations, an annual event in St. Louis which draws over 125,000 visitors every year.
Ann is survived by her husband of 52 years, Sam Rynearson, and her sister Kathy Manry Smith (Bill) and brother John
Manry (Mary), as well as niece Katie Manry Hogan (Steve) and nephews Matthew Manry, MD and Steve Manry.
In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations in Ann’s memory to the International Institute of St. Louis or to the Washington University Life Long Learning Institute Endowment Fund.
Ann’s funeral service will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, October 13, 2018 at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Lake Wales, followed by burial in the Lake Wales Cemetery. A service of celebration and remembrance will be held at the International Institute of St. Louis at the Hall of Nations on October 27 at 10:00 AM.
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