Ann L. Gallup

Ann was a mother, wife, sister, aunt, cousin, fellow human, animal lover and individual who found humor and love in the worst times.  She had a strong work ethic, was fiercely loyal, had no patience for unkindness, hate, or injustice, and had a soft spot for the mischief makers amongst us, both human and animal.  

Her children remember her as a mom who knew exactly who they were, their strengths and weaknesses, appreciated them as people, and did her best to help them accept others as they are.  Unless of course she felt someone was unkind or intolerant, in which case all bets were off.

They remember her as a mom who taught them that it was okay to laugh and enjoy life even when times are hard, and to always be there for each other with unconditional love and loyalty, even if they are annoyed with each other as family members occasionally are.  She also taught them by example to work hard, to strive to be patient with themselves, to steadily look for solutions, and to advocate for what they feel is right.  

Ann loved puzzles, financial math and creative problem solving.  Her husband always said that when he first knew her in the late 1960’s, he quickly saw she was smarter than she realized, and among other things, she could always guess what would happen or “who did it” when they went to the movies.  

Ann enjoyed going to the Cleveland Museum of Art and watching the Cleveland Guardians and Cavs with her kids almost as much as she loved seeing her daughter’s artwork over the years and watching her son compete in adaptive sports.

Ann loved her pets, plants, gardening, backyard wildlife and grumbling about the deer eating her tomatoes.  She loved being outside in nature.  As soon as she was outside, she had observations - a plant she hadn’t seen before, the sound of a pileated woodpecker, a wild turkey sighting or how big the fawns who traveled through her backyard were getting.  

She had a fun, goofy and sometimes off-beat sense of humor.  She loved a quirky garden statue, a benevolent prank and a family tradition designed to make everyone laugh.  She was the kind of person you wanted with you in a crisis or when you weren’t at your best.  

She is survived by her husband, David; daughter Ellen and son William; brother and sister-in-law, Joe and Diane Parker; brother-in-law Rick Gallup; many much loved nieces and nephews; many much loved “other” daughters, “adopted” sons and friends she loved as family; and, cats George and Mia who imprinted on her like baby ducks and thought she was their actual mother.  

She was predeceased by much loved family members: brother George Parker, parents Lavinia and Earl Parker, mother-in-law and father-in-law Clarice and Bill Gallup, and sister-in-law Patricia Gallup, as well as by many beloved animals, including dogs Iker, Rosie, Spanky, Max and Duncan, horse Cricket, and cats Horse, Cat, Binky and Raspberry to name a few. 

Private, small celebration of life to be had at a later date.  We, her family, would love to hear from anyone who knew her who would like to get in touch, though we may not respond quickly.  Though we love flowers and plants, Ann would have loved to be remembered via donations to Youth Challenge (www.youthchallengesports.com), the Cleveland Museum of Art, Sierra Club, or any humane society, APL or SPCA type organization.  

Online condolences www.diciccoandsosnfh.com