Ann Prince passed away on August 13th, 2021, in her home near Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Ann was born in September of 1956 in Sacramento, California. Her parents John and Betty (Opie) Rossheim moved the family to Alexandria, Virginia where she grew up. After graduating from Groveton High School, she attended James Madison University. Upon receiving her Bachelor’s Degree from JMU, her love of nature continued to grow. She went on to graduate school at George Mason University and received a Master’s degree in Biology with a focus on botany.
She worked for The Nature Conservancy, where she met her husband-to-be, John Prince. After graduate school she was hired by the Maryland Natural Heritage Program. Ann married John in 1990 and in 1991, they moved to North Carolina. There she started her 22-year career as a Protection Specialist with the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. During her time there, she was instrumental in negotiating protection for many hundreds of thousands of acres of biological significance across the state. Ann and John raised two children and enjoyed life together.
Upon retirement, Ann volunteered for the Eno River Association, the NC Invasive Plants Council, the Democratic Party Orange Grove Precinct, the Leslie Drive Road Maintenance Committee, and other causes.
Ann was preceded in passing by her mother Betty Rossheim. She is survived by her husband John of Chapel Hill; her daughter Sarah Prince of Chapel Hill; her daughter Julia & Josh Vazquez of Durham; granddaughter Eliany of Durham; granddaughter Natalia of Durham; father John of Harrisonburg, Virginia; sister Virginia & Alan Byer of Elkins West Virginia; brother Richard of Baltimore, Maryland.
Ann loved walking in nature, being with dogs, reading, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family. She had an amazing memory for languages, plant and animal species, and even show tunes. She routinely destroyed her family in games of Scrabble.
Donations in Ann’s memory may be made to the Eno River Association (enoriver.org) or the North Carolina Invasive Plants Council (http://nc-ipc.weebly.com/). A gathering of friends and family will be announced.