Ann C. DeMars
December 28, 1929 - April 10, 2018

Ann C. DeMars, age 88, died peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family on April 10, 2018. She was born on December 28, 1929 in Hollywood, California. Ann grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland and received an associate degree at Montgomery County Junior College. After successive job advances as an administrator, Ann met her future husband, Bob DeMars, at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. They were married in 1958, and in 1959 Bob accepted a position at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. They moved into the Madison neighborhood of Crestwood where they raised three sons and a daughter. Bob and Ann fell in love with this community and chose to spend the rest of their lives there.

Among her numerous civic activities, Ann taught Great Books to grade schoolers, was a Girl Scout leader and volunteered at the Red Cross and for the Crestwood Cooperative Housing Association. In short, Ann was a "people person" who invested her life in the lives of others. During this time, Ann transformed their home and property to create a wonderful place for family and friends. Ann's creativity was reflected in the creation of a heron sculpture from a maple tree in their front yard and beautiful gardens throughout the property. Ann's collection of bird feeders and baths made for spectacular close-up viewing of more than 90 species of birds. Bob was very interested in birds when they met and Ann became his life-long birding buddy. They shared many deeply enjoyable experiences such as viewing tundra swans on the Mississippi and enjoying the sight and sounds of thousands of sandhill cranes. She clambered along the rocky coast of Maine, wallowed knee-deep in Wisconsin marshes and climbed down from an Arizona mesa in steps cut in the stone by Pueblo Native Americans.

Survivors include her husband of 60 years, Robert I. DeMars and her children R. Mark Sigwald (daughter Heather, her husband Jason and grandson Josef), Matthew DeMars (wife Elsy and children Christina and Logan), Adam DeMars (wife Jill) and Amy (husband Rich) Staffen. She was preceded in death by her parents Edward and Maude (Shepherd) Cook.

Following cremation, private family services will be held in Forest Hill Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to Agrace or Wisconsin Public Television.

-"To live in hearts we leave behind, is not to die." Thomas Campbell

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Cress Funeral & Cremation Service
3610 Speedway Road Madison
(608) 238-3434

To read the full obituary, please click here: http://www.cressfuneralservice.com/obituary/252891/Ann-DeMars

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