MIDDLEBURY — Ann McGinley Ross passed peacefully the night of Sept. 15, 2026, at her home at Eastview, Middlebury, after a long, rich life filled with family and friends.
She was predeceased by her husband Jim, with whom she raised her children Peter (Beth), Lauren (Ken) and Patty (Jake) in Cornwall. When their house on the hill on Cider Mill Road became too large, they moved to Eastview in Middlebury, where they were fortunate to be part of a loving and caring community. In addition to her children, she is survived by grandchildren, Abigail, Cailin, Grady, Connor, Marley and Bo. She also leaves her most special great-granddaughter Sally Ross Jacobs.
Ann was born Jan. 18, 1932, in New London, Conn., to Dr. Winthrop and Joyce McGinley. After graduating from high school in Middletown, N.Y., she attended Middlebury College, graduating in 1953. She and Jim were married in 1955. They moved to Cornwall shortly after, when Jim started working at the college.
The list of lives she touched is long, stretching through her years teaching at Mary Hogan, serving as the principal of the Weybridge School, her time as executive director of the Children’s Art Exchange, her involvement with her spiritual home at the Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society (CVUUS), helping start the United Way of Addison County, as a peace activist and serving on countless committees and boards.
Above all else, Ann was a teacher, beginning at home but spreading to hundreds of school children through the years. She loved reading about her students, often exclaiming while reading about someone in the Independent “I think I had him in second grade!” When she retired from the Children’s Art Exchange, it was to spend more time with her grandchildren. Because who else was going to teach them Latin?
When the CVUUS decided to dedicate its new fellowship hall to her, a request went out looking for stories about her. The list that came back was extensive and included her being a leader, welcomer, listener, teacher, humorist, visionary, canvasser, cleaner, storyteller, diplomat, arm-twister, thespian, greeter, mentor, organizer, doer, hugger, supporter and activist. Of course, her humility meant none of that could be mentioned in her presence.
Ann’s life and the way she lived it were defined by the pursuit of peace — in the world, in her local community and in personal relationships.
A celebration of her life will be held later in the year. ◊
