Ann Longstreet Tharrington

Ann Keith Longstreet was born on September 4, 1937, at Rex Hospital in Raleigh to Bea Smith Longstreet and Robert Hudson Longstreet. As a child, she lived on Hawthorne Road with her beloved grandmother, Hattie Smith, while her grandfather, John Henry Smith, remained at the family home in Middlesex, NC. She viewed herself as an only child, despite having two sisters.

Her parents instilled in her the value of education, exposing her to the arts, theater, dance, music, history, literature and travel. As a child, Ann was a voracious reader and she often read books under her covers at night, long after she was to be asleep. Later in life, she chronicled the books she read and freely shared her ongoing list of “top reads”. She developed a keen intellect and a life-long passion for words, real estate, gardening, the arts, playing bridge, preservation of historic homes and open spaces. She was a historian at heart and had extensive knowledge of Raleigh and the surrounding area, particularly the significant architecture, most of which has been lost to development.

She attended Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, VA where she met her future husband, J. Harold Tharrington. They married in 1959 and, later that year, welcomed their first child. As newlyweds, they settled in Chapel Hill, where she worked to support the family while Harold completed his law degree. It was there she met a circle of women, who would become the core group of friends she maintained for over six decades. She reflected that her family had relocated so often during her childhood that it had been difficult to nurture lasting friendships, making her relationship with these women all the more cherished.

In 1963, the family grew with the arrival of a second son and, in 1965, they welcomed a daughter. They settled into a magical neighborhood in Raleigh, where neighbors were great friends and children could roam freely until dark. This idyllic setting was the backdrop to innumerable happy times.

In 1975, they embarked on a muti-year quest to build their dream home on the outer edge of “the neighborhood”. They enlisted the architectural services of her father who would later recount, after four years spent designing the home, that they were, in fact, his worst clients. The home was indeed a labor of love and a source of immense pride.

While traveling in Europe, she was introduced to two women, who, along with her already close friends, would become her “squad” for many decades to come. They planned annual gatherings at Pine Knoll Shores and in Sylva, NC where they always enjoyed many rounds of Trivial Pursuit, dancing and singing, and long weekends of silliness.

In 1979, she divorced and entered the work force as a woman of a certain generation that was ill-prepared for a career after years as a homemaker. She was able to parlay her knowledge and appreciation of architecture into a position with Preservation Raleigh and was instrumental in saving several Victorian homes along Blount Street. Her skills as a grant-writer and fundraiser made her an ideal candidate to work with non-profit agencies such as Hospice of Wake County among numerous other organizations. She worked tirelessly with the Raleigh City Council and the Raleigh Arts Commission to turn the old Sanders Ford dealership into one of the largest open-studio artist environments in the country, a cornerstone of the burgeoning redevelopment efforts in downtown Raleigh. She later became the Executive Director of ArtSpace as well as the Capital Campaign Director. She was directly responsible for implementing many educational programs, such as the summer arts programs, that continue to this day. She later worked for the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University and Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, where she was the Managing Director. After retiring in 1995, she relocated to Wilmington, NC and furthered her passion for preservation by restoring several older homes in the historic district.

Ann had an innate talent for connecting with people. She made herself available and was always “present” for those who needed a shoulder or an ear. Sometimes you never realized what was happening until you found yourself divulging some deeply held secret or long buried feelings. Sadly, she was very bad at keeping secrets, but her knack for gaining entry into the corridors of one’s soul was what endeared her to so many.

She had a kind and empathetic heart - she never could get through the reading of “The Happy Prince” without breaking down in tears and was also fiercely independent and opinionated. She was a talented writer and documented her escapades in short stories that we cherish, and she loved a good dirty joke, always delivering them with a mischievous grin. She created numerous family traditions including raucous game nights where her competitive spirit came alive, making snow-day cookies, peanut brittle and fudge, annual trips to the theater to see the Nutcracker and Cinderella, her beautifully hand-painted Christmas ornaments, that have been passed from her children to her grandchildren. And one of the longest lasting traditions is the annual, extended family “Beach Week” where family and friends all gathered and where she was the proprietor of “Granny Ann’s Cafe”, a very exclusive dining venue that employed child labor and operated on a tips only basis. Started at Figure Eight Island in the 1990’s, the beach week later moved to Topsail Beach where the family will gather this summer to share countless memories of her.

She will be remembered as an irreverent, kind and nurturing mother, grandmother, sister and friend to many. Left to cherish her memory are sons, Mark Eaton Tharrington (Sue), Blair Hudson Tharrington and daughter, Sharon Paige Tharrington; grandchildren, Anne Elise Tharrington Wiedmer, John Hudson Tharrington Wiedmer, Samuel James Tharrington Wiedmer, Casey Catherine Tharrington, Grace Ann Tharrington and Dylan James Tharrington; sisters, Nancy Longstreet Wheeler and Jane Longstreet Ellsworth (Tom); nephews, Robert Longstreet Wheeler, Scott David Wheeler, Joshua Longstreet Ellsworth (Sarah); and niece, Alexandra Trang Ellsworth.

A private burial was held on Saturday, May 30 in Middlesex, NC.

A Celebration of Life & Reception will be held on Sunday, August 2nd from 3pm until 5pm at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 300 Saint Mary's St. Raleigh, NC 27605.

The family would like to thank Dr. Benjamin Fischer for his years of care, and her caregiver, Jill Marie, for her love, support and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to ArtSpace, 201 E Davie St, Raleigh, NC 2760, (https://artspace.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donations-in-memory-of-ann-tharrington-1).

Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's St., Raleigh is serving the Tharrington family.