Ann H. Sloane, was retired bookkeeper
who had a deep appreciation and
knowledge of classic Hollywood films.
She was 68.
The former Ann Herold, the
daughter of William Clifton Herold, a
hotel auditor, and his wife, Jean
Roberts Herold, an early childhood
education teacher, was born in
Providence, Rhode Island.
In
the early 1950s, she moved with her
family to Springfield, Virginia, where
she graduated in 1969 from Lee High
School.
She was married in 1974 to Thomas E.
“Tommy” Sloane, a licensed clinical
professional counselor, and in 1979
moved to Radnor-Winston.
In
1980, Mrs. Sloane became part-time
personal bookkeeper for Rosa Ponselle,
the great Metropolitan Opera soprano who
lived at Villa Pace in the Greenspring
Valley, and continued working for the
diva until her death in 1981.
Mrs. Sloane enjoyed cooking and
entertaining family and friends. She was
also known for making and selling her
candied pecans, and often received large
orders during holiday seasons, which she
took to social gatherings.
She preferred pecans from the Atwell
Pecan Co. in Wrens, Georgia, that she
used for her business, My Mom’s Nuts,
whose name was coined by a daughter,
Sarah Donovan of Patterson Park.
“It was all a labor of love,” her
husband said.
When her two daughters were in
high school and college, Mrs. Sloane
looked forward to attending their
sporting events.
Mrs. Sloane, who was a fan of and
had an encyclopedic knowledge of classic
Hollywood films, enjoyed watching movies
at the Senator Theater in Belvedere
Square, her husband said.
“Two
of her favorites were ‘Gone with the
Wind’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ ” her
husband said.
An avid gardener, she enjoyed
working in the Radnor-Winston community
garden, and she also liked shopping,
where she was “always able to find good
deals,” Mr. Sloane said.
“There was a quiet sparkle that
she fully and gently embodied,” said Lia
Purpura, a Radnor-Winston neighbor, poet
and essayist, and writer-in-residence at
the University of Maryland, Baltimore
County.
A celebration of Mrs. Sloane’s
life will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Nov. 23 at the Vollmer Center at the
Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring
Ave., Mount Washington.
In addition to her husband of 45
years, daughter Sarah Sloane Donavan;
and granddaughter, she is survived by
another daughter, Caitlin Donati of
Timonium.