Ann Hyde

Ann Mills Hyde passed away peacefully at Terwilliger Plaza on March 5, 2023. She leaves behind her loving family of three children, Beth, Sim and Cutty, Cutty’s wife Diane; her three grandchildren, Sally, Julia and Ben; and her great-granddaughter, Willa.

Ann was known for her outgoing, engaging personality. Always ready to strike up a conversation with a stranger, she had an uncanny knack of leaving them feeling like friends. She inspired those around her with her positive outlook, her adventurous spirit, and her courage and commitment to keeping active and engaged in life up to the very end of her 101 years. She could often be seen on her daily walks in her Irvington neighborhood, stopping to chat, read a poem in a poetry box (or changing one in her own), or admire a garden. Indoors often found Ann at the piano. She loved keeping up with current events and was a voracious reader, enjoying everything from The NY Times to the Smithsonian. One of her grandkids gifted her a subscription to Rolling Stone Magazine, which she read in full (and then would pepper her grandkids with questions about what she’d read.) A firm believer in community involvement, she volunteered at the Albina Head Start program and the SMART program at Irvington Elementary School well into her nineties.

Ann grew up on the East Coast, where she attended The Baldwin Academy for Girls in Bryn Mawr, PA, and Bennington College in Vermont. Ann left college to marry Simeon Hyde Jr. in 1942. After the war, Ann and Simeon moved to Andover, MA, where Simeon took a teaching position at Andover Phillips Academy. Ann took on her role as an active, engaged faculty wife and mother during these years, while also teaching kindergarten at The Pike School. Early on, Ann and Simeon bought a small piece of land off the coast of Cape Cod, where they built their own summer house. It was here they felt most at home, returning for over fifty summers. The family spent most of their time here in or on the water while building bonds of community and friendship.

After 25 years in Andover, Ann and Simeon moved to Albuquerque, NM to begin a new life adventure. Ann returned to school at the University of New Mexico to complete her education with a B.A. in Native American Studies. Her interest and knowledge kindled in the Native American culture, she went on to serve as a docent at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. Ann joined the New Mexico League of Women Voters, serving as its vice president while lobbying for stricter emissions controls on the floor of the New Mexico Congress and serving on the mayor’s air quality control committee.

After over a decade in the Southwest, Ann and Simeon moved to San Diego to be closer to family. While there, they became members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), an important commitment which continued through their move to Portland, OR, in the 1990’s.

In Portland, they became active members of the Multnomah Friends Meeting, a good fit for Ann’s commitment to a life of spirit, community and social justice. Ann and Simeon’s steadfast presence in Meeting for Worship and Meeting for Business grounded the Meeting for decades. While she faithfully served the Meeting through committee work, perhaps Ann’s greatest impact was in her personal attention to so many people. With keen curiosity and interest, she drew others out and inspired us to be our best. She urged and expected us to use our gifts within Meeting and beyond, believing that we could make the world better.

Even in separation, Ann was a force bringing the community together. During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, her 100th birthday was a welcome cause for Friends to gather in a parade to her home, where she graciously received cards, flowers and good wishes on her front porch. When the pandemic prevented Ann from attending worship, she persisted in querying Friends to know what was happening with the Meeting. Until the end, Ann remained a faithful member of the Hold in the Light group.

Ann was widowed from her beloved husband in 2011, and went on to live independently in her own home until last year. She inspired all who knew her by living life fully, and aging well and gracefully.

A memorial service for Ann was held at Multnomah Monthly Meeting on May 20, 2023.