Ann Grau

Obituaries

Tuesday, 25 April 2023 10:07

Ann Kempson Grau, 91, born on Monday, October 19, 1931 in Bridgeport, peacefully passed away of natural causes on Monday, February 13, 2023. Memorial services were held on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at Peters Cove Cemetery.

The oldest daughter of Clarice and Jerry Maples, she lived a long and remarkable life, attending Brenau, a women’s college in Gainesville, Georgia in 1949, transferring the following year to Eastern New Mexico University to be closer to her family. There she met her first husband, Clinton Kempson, and they eventually settled in Southern California. She later earned her Administrative Services Credential at California State University.

She was an elementary, junior high and high school teacher, then a school administrator for nearly 20 years. In 1975, she survived the sudden death of her husband of 23 years, eventually selling the family home and moving closer to the coast. After some time, she met and married her second husband, Mel Grau, who died in their 29th year together. She relocated to Northern Virginia to be closer to her children.

A beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Ann will be remembered for her charm, almost other-worldly intuition, kindness to the most vulnerable among us and her wry sense of humor. she considered her poodle, Coco, her soulmate and was an avid reader, expressing her sensitivities through her writing and art.

She is survived by her children, Mark (Janet) Greenberg, Lauri (Ron) Brooks, Judson; sister, Linda Williams; stepdaughters, Pamela Twena, Claudia Sender; grandchildren, Spencer and Norris Brooks, Jonathan, Satya (Zurofsky) Claire (Haskell) Twena, Malka, Stella, Joseph Sender; five great-grandchildren.

We are grateful for the privilege of participating in her life. She provided us a model, not so much for a woman, but for a human being, influencing how we lead our lives, conduct our relationships and change our world.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Museum of Women in the Arts or to the Mu Chapter of the Phi Mu Sorority at Brenau University.