Obituary of Anne Marie Andrews (née Ebbesen)

Anne Marie Andrews (née Ebbesen) passed away peacefully on Monday, April 6, at the age of 88. She was deeply loved and will be remembered for her sense of humour, work ethic, and strength. Anne Marie was predeceased by the love of her life, Thomas Grant “Andy” Andrews, whom she married during his service with the RCAF and who passed away in 2009. She was also predeceased by her parents, Anna and Oluf Ebbesen; her brothers Laurids (Hanna) and Karl; her sister Karen and her husband Hans; and her grandson Michael Fairchild. She is lovingly remembered by her brother Niels (Inge); her sister-in-law Eva; her stepdaughter Nancy (Richard, deceased); her sons Oluf (Su) and Thomas (Hien); and her daughter Karen (Dave). Anne Marie was a proud grandmother to Scott (Lauren), Tamara, Gabriella, Robert, Kelsey, Gabriella (Garret), Max (Véronique), Phuong (Trung), Owen, Oluf, and Jack,  and great‑grandmother to Bronwyn, Gwenna, Liam, Edith, John, and Philip. She was a great,‑great‑grandmother to Atlas and Story. She is fondly remembered by many nieces and nephews, dear friends, and extended family, including great- and great-great-nieces and nephews.

Born in Denmark in 1937, Anne Marie grew up on a farm in Barslund, an experience that shaped her lifelong love of hard work, ‑growing food, and self-reliance. As a young woman, she was adventurous and curious about the world. She moved to London to work as an au pair, lived on a kibbutz in Israel, and later taught at a girls’ school in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where she met Andy. After returning to Canada, Anne Marie made her home in several meaningful places: Drury Lane in Ottawa; Vydon Acres/Morris Island  (from 1973); and Arnprior, where she lived from 1992 to 2017. She was a devoted full‑time mother and also worked as a Visiting Homemaker, always preferring work that allowed her to be useful and supportive of others.

Anne Marie loved gardening above all else. She grew large vegetable and flower gardens and took pride in feeding her family through the season by pickling, freezing, making jams, relishes, and rhubarb juice (less popular), and filling both the freezer and cold storage for the winter. While she preferred growing and preserving food to cooking, she somehow always kept her family supplied with home‑baked bread, cookies, and hot meals. She loved to be active outside. She took her children cross-country skiing, keeping them motivated by leaving chocolate squares on the trail. She loved camping trips and road trips, walked circles around most people well into older age, and remained an avid reader of murder mysteries right until the end.

Anne Marie was devoted to St. Andrew’s Church in Kinburn, Ontario, and to the community there. She and Andy were also active in the Arnprior Rotary Club. Anne Marie valued independence, staying busy, and being helpful, and preferred spending money on others rather than on herself. Anyone who knew Anne Marie knows that she was never late to anything in her life, nor did she ever waste time, money, food, or an opportunity to share her opinion. We will miss her blend of humour, efficiency, elegance, and warmth.

A huge thank you to the team at Waterford Retirement Home, who took wonderful care of mom for years before she moved to St. Patrick's Home, where she was also beautifully cared for by the amazing team on the Dublin Unit. 

A service will be held at Pinecrest Remembrance Services, Ottawa. Details will be shared later by the family. Those who wish are invited to share photos and memories on Anne Marie’s tribute page. If you wish to donate on Anne Marie’s behalf, please consider the Arnprior Food Bank, where she volunteered in her later years.