Annette Suzanne Humphrey, 52, passed away on Tuesday, October 23, 2012. She was born February 16, 1960 in Columbus, Ohio, to Archie R. Humphrey and JoAnn Craven Humphrey.
Annette was born with Down’s syndrome and we had no idea what to expect. What we enjoyed was a woman with lots of personality and interests and imagination. Her strength was her love of people. She enjoyed traveling and visited most of the United States. She was a good swimmer and participated in Special Olympics in the states of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
For many years she carried her camera wherever she went and took very good pictures of her family, her church, her friends and her travels. She enjoyed music and dancing and took loving care of her dog Wendy. She loved her family and was a proud Auntie.
Her one goal was to have her own apartment which she accomplished (with the help of many) and enjoyed for two years before her health declined. Annette worked at MARCA, Meijer, Honda and Bob Evans over the course of her adult life.
She lived life well with a spirit that few people who met her could forget. She lived her days with such joy and always seemed to find a gentle hug or genuine compassion when you needed it most.
She adored all her family, but especially her mother who fought for her rights from the day she was born. The choices were to institutionalize her or bring her home and love her. She was special, not because of her Down’s but because of the way she was always just a part of the family, and lived her life with an example of pure joy. Her spirit will be with us always. She was a special gift to us, teaching us more about loving and living than we could have ever realized.
Annette is preceded in death by her father; she is survived by her mother, sister Jill Finch Thorpe, brother Bruce (Marie) Humphrey of Cranston, RI, brother Scott (Maureen) Humphrey of Fairborn, OH, and many nieces and nephews. We will be eternally grateful to the staff of RHAM, especially the group home staff who have lovingly cared for her for nearly 8 years, the Marion General Hospice team as well as the entire MARCA community. They have all enriched her life.
Funeral services will be Monday, October 29, 2012 at 11AM at the First United Church of Christ with the Rev. Gale Green officiating. Burial will follow in the Chapel Heights Memory Gardens. Calling hours are scheduled for Sunday, October 28, 2012 at the Boyd-Born Funeral Home from 2-5PM.
Memorial contributions may be made to Marion General Hospice, First United Church of Christ, or Marion County Special Olympics. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.boydbornfuneralhome.com.
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