An El Paso native, Anne was deeply rooted in her west Texas family history. She considered ranching her first occupation and was a proud member of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. From an early age, she enjoyed politics with her father, horsemanship with her mother, and piano duets with her sister. She was especially committed to the study of ballet, and continued her passion for dancing throughout college and adulthood. In 1958, Anne was named Duchess and the following year named Queen of the Southwestern Sun Carnival. Both years she was escorted by Charles Boyd, then a student at Tulane Medical School, and many years later her beloved husband.
Anne graduated from Mary Baldwin College in 1961 with a degree in Chemistry. She chaired the first College Board of Visitors in 1968 and later served on the Alumnae Association Board. In 1978, she joined the Board of Trustees as Co-Chair of the New Dimensions Capital Campaign. She subsequently chaired the Development, Nominating, and Student Life Committees as a trustee in different leadership roles for twelve years.
A lifelong book lover, Anne owned Pressworks Publishing Company. She worked tirelessly through the 1980’s and 1990’s promoting Texas authors and Texana as a literary genre. She published many award-winning authors across an eclectic range of literary styles and subjects, but the real heart of the enterprise was regional color. During this time, the Dallas Morning News featured her and her business in a High Profile article.
Anne had a deep commitment to community service, and she was especially passionate about women’s issues. She was the Community Vice President of the League of Women Voters, a member of the Women's Issues Network, Founding Member of The Dallas Summit, participated in organizing the Texas Women's Foundation, and was the President and founding member of the Texas Women’s Foundation in Austin. She was the Dallas Historical Society Vice-Chair and Executive Committee Member, Educational Opportunities Inc. Board President, and Booker T. Washington High School Liaison to the Dance Department. She was a member of the West Dallas Community Centers Board, League for Educational Advancement, Dallas Junior League Board of Directors, Nexus Board of Directors, City of Dallas Urban Rehabilitation Standards Board, Pierian Book Club, and Leadership Texas Class of 1985.
Governor Mark White appointed Anne to the Governor's Women's Commission that inaugurated the first Texas Women's Hall of Fame. Subsequently, she was appointed to the Texas State Board of Architectural Examiners as the first woman public member elevated to that board's executive committee. She also served on the board of The Texas Society of Architects. She was the first woman elected to the University of Texas Board of Visitors for McDonald Observatory in 1979 and chaired the BOV fundraising effort establishing the Beatrice Tinsley Visiting Professorship in Cosmology in 1982. She was a member of the Chancellor's Council of the University of Texas.
Anne was predeceased by her parents, former El Paso mayor Dan Ponder and rancher Winifred Ponder, and her sister, Elizabeth Fletcher. She is survived by her husband of 17 years, decorated Vietnam War veteran, Charles Boyd, MD; her children, Stephanie Walker (Stuart) and Robert Dickson (Candy); and her grandchildren, Elizabeth Walker, namesake Grace Anne Embrey, Kate Walker, and Gavin Ponder Dickson.
Anne, known as Gigi to her family, was the life of any party, teller of taste-free jokes, and lover of laughter. She will be remembered as a good Samaritan, a naturalist, and a women's rights advocate.
A Memorial Service will take place Friday, August 19, at 4:00p.m. at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, 8011 Douglas Ave., Dallas, TX 75225.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas was her favorite charity.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Sparkman-Hillcrest.com for the Boyd family.
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