Ann M. Hansen

Ann Maxine Hansen (Perlman), 84, of Vero Beach, Florida passed away peacefully in her home on June 29, 2020.

Ann was born on June 12, 1936 in Trenton, NJ. into a farming community in Imlaystown, New Jersey where her parents were potato farmers. She attended Allentown High School and Trenton State College (renamed as the College of New Jersey); graduating in 1958 with a degree in Elementary Education. She married William Merelman of Maryland and had a daughter, Doreen Edelman (Merelman) who now resides in the Washington DC area. Ann moved around the country with her then husband who was in the US Air Force. After they divorced, she married LeRoy (“Roy) Hansen who was also in the Air Force. They lived in Minnesota, Nebraska and Oklahoma, where both Ann and Roy received Masters degrees; hers in Special Education and his in Business. They settled in Salisbury, Maryland in 1973 where Ann began teaching as a resource teacher while Roy taught ROTC at UMES in Princess Anne, Maryland. Ann eventually became a Supervisor of Special Education working for 26 years at the Wicomico County Board of Education where she made lasting friendships. Ann and Roy started The Mailroom, a franchise, in Salisbury, Maryland in 1981. And, in Ocean City, Maryland together they ran The Bookshelf, an iconic used book store, for 35 years before retiring in 2015. See this story on the closing of the bookstore. https://mdcoastdispatch.com/2015/09/15/ocean-city-used-book-store-to-close-this-month-redevelop.

Ann was very active in Temple Beth Israel in Salisbury, Maryland for over 40 years, where she was twice President of the Sisterhood, the womens’ organization, and President of the Temple itself. Ann spent many winters in Florida starting as a young child when her parents and brother David would relocate to Florida for the winter. For the last 20 years she and Roy have spent their winters in Vero Beach, Florida. Ann’s favorite activities always have been enjoying the sun by the pool, walking on the beach and collecting shells at low tide. While her two grandchildren were young, Ann spent many hours helping them learn to read, write and bake, and in later years traveling abroad with them and her extended family. They were together in Israel, France, Amsterdam, Belgium, Hong Kong, Panama, China and Italy. Although she was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer over three years ago, Ann walked on the beach and stayed active as long as possible.

Ann is survived by her husband, LeRoy W. Hansen, Jr.; her brother, David S.C. Perlman (Sheila) of Imlaystown, NJ.; daughter Doreen Edelman (Irwin Studen) of Herndon, VA, her two grandchildren; Alex Edelman (Mckinley) of Bethesda, Md and Rachel Edelman of Philadelphia, PA; and her five nieces and nephews. They are Dr. Randy Kimmelman of Florida, David Perlman, Mark Perlman and Stacy Perlman all of N.J. and Aimee Buck of Florida. Ann will be missed every day.

Online condolences may be sent by visiting The Thomas Lowther Funeral Home of Vero Beach, Florida website at https://lowtherfamily.com/obituaries/ann-m-hansen/. Ann will be interned at Arlington National Cemetery in the Fall once arrangements are finalized.

Memorial contributions may be made in Ann’s name to The Special Olympics of New Jersey at  https://give.specialolympics.org/page/contribute/newjersey19?ms=idmp_mayGTsoc&source=idmp_mayGTsoc&cha=11&utm_source=idmp_mayGTsoc&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=NJ131&desig=NJ131. Checks may also be sent to: Special Olympics New Jersey, 1 Eunice Kennedy Shriver Way, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648.

Arrangements are by Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home & Crematory, Vero Beach.