Ann V Walkowski

Ann was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut to the late Florian and Theresa Hiza Moravek. She married her late husband Paul Walkowski – also of Bridgeport – in 1952. Since Paul’s career was the US Army, they enjoyed the opportunity of living in diverse places like Missouri, Connecticut, Hawaii, the Maryland/ D.C./Northern Virginia area, and Germany. Ann and Paul retired to Oakland Park, Florida in 1979.

As a military spouse, Ann twice took on the duty of being a single mom while Paul was deployed for a year or more at a time (post-war Korea, Vietnam war). There were shorter extended periods (2-4 weeks) when Paul was “in the field” and Ann would need to reprise her single parent role.

Ann is survived by her four children: Jeff and his husband Jeff Wyant of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Pam of Norwich, Connecticut; Michael and his partner Peter Petrucci of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and John and his wife Dawn of Coconut Creek, Florida. She is also survived by an almost countless number of nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and great great nieces and nephews.

After high school, Ann had a managerial position in a bank. Once she and Paul began raising a family, she became a stay-at-home mom. As their nest emptied, she took on various part-time jobs (dental office, poll worker) and volunteer gigs (community committee).

Food – and the enjoyment of it – played a big role in Ann’s life. She avidly collected recipes, watched cooking shows, tried new kitchen gadgets, and excitedly prepared new dishes. She was rightfully proud of her culinary skills. She had a sweet tooth, and she effectively passed it on to all of her children.

She always kept busy. Her hobbies evolved over time, ranging from painting-by-numbers, sewing, cross-stitching, knitting, reading, crossword puzzling, and working jigsaw puzzles. She was a very active bowler and participated in national tournaments. She was a die-hard Nintendo Game Boy player. She was a night owl and enjoyed watching late night talk shows, so she was never an early riser by choice.

Ann and Paul traveled a lot together. During retirement, they discovered their favorite type of vacation: ocean cruises. They took many cruises, and Alaska and Caribbean cruises suited them best.

When not vacationing, Ann would schedule a “spa day” every 4-6 weeks – getting her hair and nails done in the morning, then driving to a nearby casino for lunch and some time with the slots. Always a discreet gambler, Ann never said how much she won, but hinted that she almost always came out ahead.

Perhaps Ann’s biggest claim to fame is coining the term “smarty pants phone.” If one of her children asked a rhetorical question, Ann’s frequent response would kiddingly be, “You’ve got a smarty pants phone. Look it up!”

Even in her last days, Ann’s sense of humor remained intact, surprising all around her with her positive and humorous outlook on life. While her last days were not the most pleasant, she often delivered a one-liner to lighten the mood. That trait, among many others, will be sorely missed.

A visitation will be held at the Fred Hunter Funeral Home Chapel on Thursday January 23rd, 2025 at 10am, followed with a Prayer Service at 11am.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association.