Obituary of Elizabeth J. Annich

Elizabeth J. Annich NEWTOWN, PA - Elizabeth J. Annich, who dedicated her life to family, church and the teaching profession, passed away at her home in Pennswood Village, Newtown, PA, on Jan. 30, 2013. Born in Philadelphia on June 23, 1915, to Russell and Helen Johnson, Mrs. Annich was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, the Rev. Dr. Russell W. Annich. She is survived by her children, Hon. Russell W. Annich Jr. of Princeton, NJ; Janet A. Winther of Flemington, NJ and Rev. Lois H. Annich of Cleveland, OH. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Christopher and Peter Winther, Charles Annich, Tim and Molly Israel; a great-grandson, Landon Winther and a beloved niece, Alice Fichter. Mrs. Annich graduated from Philadelphia High School for Girls, where she was editor-in-chief of the yearbook. After graduating from the Philadelphia Normal School at the height of the Great Depression, she was one of only two students to be offered employment. She later received a B.A. from Temple University. Over the course of her career, she taught in Philadelphia, Trenton, Ewing Township and Princeton, NJ. Her love of children and ability to inspire and engage them made her a dearly beloved teacher wherever she went. Even in retirement, she was so highly valued that she was asked to come back for a term to deal with a special assignment. Mrs. Annich played an active role in her husband's ministerial career. They lived in Wilkes-Barre, PA; Haddon Heights, Trenton, and Princeton, NJ. She shared her gift for teaching in Sunday School, but is also remembered for graciously entertaining large groups of seminarians, musicians and congregants in need of home-cooked meals at the holidays. Upon her husband's retirement from Bethany Presbyterian Church in Trenton, Mrs. Annich became active at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, where she was ordained a deacon and an elder. She was also active in the Presbytery of New Brunswick, particularly with women's issues. For a number of years she was a volunteer at the Medical Center of Princeton, logging in over 1, 000 hours as a visitor for patient services and in the surgical waiting room. At Pennswood Village, Mrs. Annich was an enthusiastic volunteer, most notably working with the Welcoming Committee and library. She loved reading and in her later years continued to study literature at Bucks County Community College. Burial will be private in the Princeton Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at Nassau Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to the Crisis Ministry of Princeton and Trenton, 61 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ 08542.