Ellsworth
Ann Rollins Black, 91, died November 20, 2011 peacefully at Newport Hospital, Newport, RI with her beloved daughter Nancy Ann Black Streit and son-in-law Roy at her bedside. A Divinely Providential coincidence, November 20, 2011, would have been the 107th birthday of Ann's late husband, Elton Edward Black, who passed away in October 1976. Ann was born February 16, 1920, in Brewer, the daughter of Victorine Wyman Rollins and Andrew Howard Rollins.
When Ann was two, her parents moved back to Ellsworth where she was brought up and lived nearly all her life. A 1937 graduate of Ellsworth High School, Ann completed a post-graduate year at EHS before attending the University of Maine in Orono where she majored in French, with minors in English and classical piano performance, and from where she was graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1942. Following her graduation, Ann taught school in three rural farming communities, Freedom, Princeton, and Monroe, Maine. It was at a Grange meeting in Monroe where Ann met World War, II veteran Elton Black, whom she married in 1946 at the First Unitarian Church in Ellsworth. Along with being a homemaker and devoted mother to a son and daughter, Ann occasionally substituted at Ellsworth High School in the 1950s. She also played the organ for the First Unitarian Church in Ellsworth and served as Sunday School Superintendent for several years. In the early 1960s, Ann was appointed Children's Librarian at The Ellsworth Public Library, where her maternal aunt, Marion Wyman, had also served as the Librarian during three different decades.
In later years, Ann traveled with her daughter Nancy and family, spending time in California and Adelaide, Australia. Raised as a girl in the Unitarian faith, Ann in her adult life eventually followed the spiritual path of her son Albert and was baptized and confirmed, along with her daughter Nancy and grandsons Adamson and Andrew, in the Episcopal Church and was a communicant at St. Dunstan's in Ellsworth.
Ann's avocation was writing poetry. Only a few days before her death, her son Albert came upon one of her poems titled "Tranquility" that had been published late 1950s.
In the heart and mind of him
Who failure and discouragement defies
By implicit belief and trust in God
There peace lies.
In the spirt of every mortal man
Who knows that everything in life he tries
Is guided by God’s loving hand
There peace lies.
In the soul of all humankind
Who life’s adversities never denies
Because it is the will of God
There peace lies.
The poem echoes how Ann lived her life and how she died. As she said to her daughter, a few short hours before her passing, "It's time ... "Since 2003, Ann was a breast cancer survivor.
Ann is survived by her daughter Nancy Ann and son-in-law, Dr. Roy Streit of Portsmouth, RI; a son Albert Howard Black of Ellsworth and Kennebunk; a granddaughter Katherine Victoria Streit of Philadelphia; grandson Andrew Streit of Portsmouth, RI; grandson Adamson and his wife Kristen Streit of East Providence, RI; and ten- month-old great granddaughter Anna Adelaide Noelle Streit, her great grandmother's namesake. During the past year, Anna brought infinite joy, grace, and blessing into Ann's life. Ann is also survived by first cousin Elwood Rollins of Texas. As another of Ann's cousins Geneva Frost of Mariaville so aptly phrased it upon seeing photographs of Ann and great granddaughter Anna: "She really loves that baby." Ann's dedicated and loving caregivers Kerry Sousa and Debbie McLaughlin mourn her passing along with her friend Edna Streit, her son-in-law Roy’s mother. Ann leaves behind many friends and neighbors: in particular, childhood friend Margaret Ackerman Jordan; Joe and Diane DeLaite; Robbie and Besty Garland; Beth and Skip Fendl, all of Ellsworth; as well as L. Joseph Njokweni, of Cape Town, South Africa; Vernice Young, of Bar Harbor; and lifelong friends Dr. John and Carol Kittredge and Florence Kittredge, of Tucson, AZ. Ann’s faithful companion, a Border Collie named Sam, will miss her as only man’s best friend can.
Arrangements will be under the care of Jordan-Fernald, 113 Franklin Street, Ellsworth.
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com