Ann May Gosselin

Ann M. Gosselin, 94, of Deltona FL died after a long period of declining health on Friday, January 31, 2020, at the Halifax Health Hospice Care Center in Orange City, FL with her family attending her.

Ann was born on November 25, 1925 in Chelsea, MA to George and Elsie (Shepard) Drover. Although she aspired to be a professional dancer, after graduation from Chelsea High School, she found clerical work and married in 1946. As a mother and homemaker she mastered cooking, baking, sewing, rug making, ceramics, and the fine New England art of thriftiness. Ann was a reliable volunteer for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, Rainbow Girls, and the Order of DeMolay.

When she returned to work, Ann conducted intake at the local community mental health center, where her ability to listen compassionately helped those experiencing a personal challenge. She loved to sing with the Sweet Adelines group in Wilmington MA.

While square dancing in a church basement, she met the love of her life, Bob Gosselin, and they married in 1975. Together, they built a life based on love and respect. They moved to Florida in 1977, where they maintained a busy square dancing schedule, and started on what were to become their many travels. They crossed the United States, looked for ancestors in Canada and England, visited much of Europe, cruised the Caribbean, visited Russia, Egypt, Turkey, and China. Perhaps most adventurous for her, however, was their trip to Alaska: Ann hated to be cold! To keep fit for her trips, Ann regularly attended the YMCA, participating in aerobics classes and swimming regularly.

Ann loved to be the Florida hostess for friends and family, keeping a full calendar of visitors and holiday celebrations until recently.

Ann was a “cradle Episcopalian” with her earliest story of being swooped off to church by her aunt on a cold November day to be baptized with a name different from the one chosen by her mother! Wherever she lived, and there were many addresses, she found and attended church. She long ago stopped needing to refer to a prayer book, and sang most hymns from memory as well.

Ann is survived by her loving husband, Robert G. Gosselin, of Deltona, daughter, Judy Connors (Clay) Tarver, son, Robert B. Connors, granddaughter, Caitlin (Kevin) Landa, grandson, Ian Connors, all of New England. She is also survived by her sister, Joanne Kinney of Kansas, and many nieces and nephews. Also, left to miss her are stepchildren, Jaclyn (Michael) Lamoureux, Julie (Peter) DellaMonica, Abp. Robert (Patricia) Gosselin, Elizabeth (Brian) Arness, and their children and grandchildren.

Ann was predeceased by her parents and siblings, William, Sarah, Laura, John, Walter, and Ginger.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, February 9 at 1:30 pm at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church, 815 E. Graves Avenue, Orange City FL 32763, interment will follow at Deltona Memorial Gardens, 1295 Saxon Boulevard, Orange City FL 32763.

The family respectfully requests no flowers, and that memorial donations be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105 or at www.stjude.org.