Anne Browning Ripley

Ripley, Anne Browning - age 87, died peacefully in her sleep at the Ben Atchley Veterans’ Home in Knoxville, on November 1, 2010. Ms. Ripley was born in Baltimore, Maryland on April 9, 1923. She was the eldest child born to the late Preston Mercer Browning and Gertrude Stephenson Browning. Her childhood home was Culpeper, VA. Ms. Ripley attended St. Mary’s College after high school and later completed her Bachelor’s degree in social work at the Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond, VA. Ms. Ripley enlisted in the U. S. Navy, during WWII and was a WAVE from October 5, 1944 to August 21, 1946. During her time in the Navy, she met and married the late Thomas H. Ripley of Bennington, VT. The Ripley couple moved between Blacksburg, VA, Martha’s Vineyard, MA and Marston’s Mills, MA, while Dr. Ripley completed his Master’s and Ph.D. Ms. Ripley grew to love New England, especially Cape Cod, MA. The family built a cottage on Cape Cod in 1960, and summered there every year with their children. It was there, that Ms. Ripley grew to have a life-long love of sailing, beach-going, shelling and swimming. Ms. Ripley became a resident of Knoxville, TN in 1969 when Dr. Ripley was appointed Director of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife for the T.V.A. Ms. Ripley was an avid traveller, visiting Europe several times with her late husband and children in the ‘70s. Her favorite destinations were Sanibel Island, FLA and her beloved Cape Cod. Ms. Ripley was a devoted Episcopalian and long-time member of St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, Knoxville. She was an avid reader and lover of the arts, particularly classical music and theater. Ms. Ripley is survived by three children: Elizabeth (Ripley) Stromeyer of Buzzards Bay, MA; James (Jim) Ripley of Sevierville, TN; and Constance (Connie) Ripley of Wildwood, GA. Ms. Ripley also leaves behind her 2 younger brothers, Charles W. Browning (84 of Chapel Hill, NC), Preston M. Browning, Jr. (81 of Ashfield, MA); her sisters-in-law, Margaret Knoerr (of Chapel Hill, NC), Mary Jo Browning (of Culpeper, VA), and Ann Browning (of Ashfield, MA). She also leaves behind her son-in-law, Don Stromeyer (of Buzzards Bay, MA); her former daughter-in-law, Donna Ripley (of Sevierville); her former son-in-law, Francisco Perez (of Leon, Mexico) and her precious granddaughter, Meghan Ripley (of Knoxville). She loved all of her many nieces and nephews and their families and will be remembered by many friends. There will be a memorial service, celebrating her life, at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral on Friday, November 5, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore at www.fccns.org. Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. Online condolences may be made at www.rosemortuary.com

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Anne Browning Ripley

April 9, 1923 - November 1, 2010