Ann Fuellhart Seamans

Ann Seamans, 78, died January 12, 2021 in her home in Bedford, MA, from pancreatic cancer with family at her side. Her strength and determination this past year was amazing; she was supported by her family, friends and community members with much love. Ann was born in Wilkes-Barre PA. to Howard and Ruth Pace Fuellhart. She was married and divorced from Sidney Seamans, deceased, and they had a beautiful daughter, Heather, who they loved dearly and who predeceased both parents.

Ann's life was a journey filled with love, laughter and adventure. It took her down many paths that she strode with talent, perseverance and the utmost care for others. But Ann was no saint; she and her family and friends enjoyed that part of her...her magical laughter was a beauty in itself.

Family was always important to Ann. She is greatly missed by her three sisters, Sandra Evans, Dana Fuellhart and Susan Loyd. Ann hosted many lively never-to-be-forgotten family reunions. Her nieces and nephews held special places in their hearts for Ann. She listened to them, talked with them, and sometimes acted just like them. They loved her dearly. Ann and her friends shared a special relationship marked by love and loyalty. She liked nothing better than to spend time with them with a glass of wine, a gin and tonic, or a watermelon cosmo, talking, laughing or crying. She loved to swim in Walden Pond and under the stars in a friend's pool.

Ann was an accomplished professional editor, writer, indexer, fundraiser, and event organizer. She earned a BA degree from UNH in History and English with a Graduate Business Degree from Harvard University Extension. Not to allow her educational achievements to be too narrow, she was certified as a Master Mixologist through the Harvard Bartending Course. Her career began as a freelance editor in Cambridge, MA, doing extensive proofreading, editing and indexing for Harvard University Press, Ballinger, D.C. Heath and Co., and others. In 1983 she joined Digital Equipment Corp. and then Lotus Development as a Senior Manager and Documentation Manager Editor. Ann and her family moved to London, UK in 1991, living there for 12 years where she put her skills to work as a volunteer. She did fundraising for the Women on the Move Conference and conceived and organized a literary evening for the Camden Society with authors, Ken Follett, Margaret Drabble, Terrance Dicks, Gregory Maguire and Cicely Herbert as honored guests, raising $15,000.

"The summer of 1959, I traveled to the UK and Europe with Rev. Lawrence and his wife which began my life-long love of travel." These are Ann's words; she did love to travel which lay the foundation for her founding of her travel service, Britain Before You, where she took groups of 8-15 people to the UK, Italy, Norway, France and America. She designed an itinerary for each trip to accommodate the special interests of her clients. In conjunction with this, she became a Hotel Inspector for Signpost Hotel Guide, visiting and writing descriptions of various hotels. Ann was also a reviewer for Harden's London Restaurant Guide – it was all hands-on learning for Ann and she loved it! Ann used all of her accumulated knowledge to create a manuscript "How to Enjoy London" to help expatriates adapt to and enjoy a new culture. Ann was not about to allow her historic "Timothy Jones" house lay vacant while she was in England and, influenced by her experiences in English country inns, she opened her home to guests as The Timothy Jones B&B. It is not a surprise that a guest wrote "the home is a treasure and so is Ann."

Ann loved her town of Bedford, and unselfishly gave of her time and effort. For 15 years, Ann enthusiastically volunteered at her local television station, Bedford TV. She was proud to be a witty, award-winning, co-anchor of its live weekly news broadcast, and she used her well-honed editing skills to develop the scripts. As a volunteer video producer, Ann filmed many events around town, including her beloved Historic Preservation Committee. Her short film "Bedford Under Siege" went viral and received almost 1000 views on YouTube. Ann was honored annually at the Bedford TV Awards Shows, earning several accolades including the Joe Serra Most Valuable Crew Member, the Red Heat Volunteer of the Year, and Best Virtual Show with her Bedford TV News cast.

Recognizing her immense contributions, Ann was recently invited to join the Board of Directors of Bedford TV. Everyone who interacted with Ann at Bedford TV loved working with her. She lit up the studio when she walked into it, bringing her wry humor and dedication to each project she undertook.

Bedford was near and dear to Ann's heart. She was passionate about protecting its history, its way of life and its natural beauty. When the State wanted to store tons of toxic dirt from Boston's "Big Dig" in Bedford, Ann led the fight to prevent it. She was delighted that a protected vernal pool saved the town. In 2017, when thousands of asphalt trucks ran 24/7 through Bedford for the Hanscom Airport repaving project, she rallied. Ann is one of "Bad Mice" founders of the town's Hanscom Field Projects Impacting Bedford Facebook group. Her gift was bringing people together.

The love of Ann's life was her dear Heather. They were the best of friends and shared a relationship that was beautiful. Through Heather, Ann became the Historian at Open Door Theater, in Acton, MA, where Heather sang and acted. Ann's love of and support for the Friday Night Fun Club, a club for developmentally challenged adults, was instrumental in the success of the club. Heather's friends loved Ann.

A celebration of Ann's life will be delayed until it is safe to gather, covid-19 free.

Donations can be made in honor of Ann and Heather's lives to:
Open Door Theater
16 Charter Rd.
Acton, MA, 01720
www.opendoortheater.org

Ovations for the Cure
79 Main St., #202
Framingham, MA 01702
www.ovationsforthecure.org

West Concord Union Church
1317 Main St.
Concord, MA 01742
www.westconcordunionchurch.org