Anne Drolet

Anne Clare Gilbert Drolet was born on September 20, 1937, in Surrey, England. As a teenager, she emigrated to the United States with her family and within a few years met the love of her life, Leonard Drolet. They married on December 1, 1959, and raised a family of six children. In the early years of their marriage, Leonard was a US Naval Officer and the family traversed the United States often. This instilled a love of travel and adventure that became a defining element of Anne’s life.

Anne’s devotion to God and her love of His Blessed Mother was foremost in her life. She and Leonard shared this profound faith and their trust in God brought them through their trials and tribulations with joy, laughter and peace. This trust emboldened Anne to found the JMJ Life Center in Orlando to protect the unborn from the threat of abortion. When asked how she would fund this endeavor, she replied, “God will provide.” Also, she and Leonard were very active in the Legion of Mary and helped found the Fort Mill, South Carolina Chapter.

When her children were well into their school years, Anne embarked on a successful career in Journalism. Her work ranged from investigative reporting to eventually becoming the Managing Editor of a prominent southern magazine.

Her life shifted gears once again as grandchildren entered her life and she and Leonard spent many happy years traveling throughout the world with their growing family. As a devout Roman Catholic, Anne included Pilgrimages to numerous Sacred Sites in her travels.

Throughout her life Anne embraced adventure, particularly hiking. Her favorite place to hike was in the Pyrenees of France where she could combine her love of the outdoors with her passion for great food and wine. She was also an accomplished tennis player and volunteered for many years at the USTA Miami Open.

Anne is survived by her beloved spouse: Leonard; her children Leona (Derek), Maria, Angel (Ted), Theresa, (Dan), Jacinta and Joseph (Virginia); her grandchildren Anthony (Andrea), Michael (Summer), Joseph, Kathleen (Oliver), Andrew, Sarah, William, Grace, Madeleine, Mary (Braylen), John; and her great grandchildren Alfred, Faris, Zachary, Luciano and Cecilia.

Funeral Mass will be Saturday, February 14, at 11 am at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, with entombment to follow at Volusia Memorial Park in Ormond Beach