Ann Elizabeth Stark was born in Denver, Colorado, the fifth of six children of Meritt William and Dorothy McGarry Stark.

Growing up, Ann enjoyed playing the violin and horseback riding in Colorado. As a teen, she spent time in Vietnam, where her father served as a doctor. She attended high school and university in Taiwan for several years, studying Chinese language and literature, and later worked as a tour guide to Chinese tourists visiting Washington, D.C.

In Washington, D.C. she met her husband, Doug Foxvog. They shared a love of travel and nature. They hiked the Inca Trail in Peru while Ann was five months pregnant with their daughter Liana.

When Liana was a baby, Ann taught at Hefei Polytechnic University, Anhui province, China, where she had a major cerebral hemorrhage. A top Chinese brain surgeon saved her life. Although the stroke left her with physical impairments and loss of speech that took prolonged effort to rebuild, Ann retained her keen sense of adventure and joy in exploration. Ann's mind remained sharp: she enjoyed games and played Scrabble, rummy, and bridge.

After returning to the United States and spending several years in Tennessee and New Jersey, Ann, Doug, and Liana moved to Oulu, Finland, where Doug had a research position in artificial intelligence. They lived in Finland from 1989 to 1996 and, while Ann never spoke Finnish, she did quietly pick up enough to catch the gist of others' conversations. After Oulu, the family moved to Austin, Texas, and seven years later Ann and Doug moved to Galway, Ireland, for six years and spent the last decade in Maryland.

Although Ann used a wheelchair outside of the house, that didn't stop her travels to scores of countries - at times sleeping in tents or hostels. Doug has pushed her in a chair on hundreds of miles of trails in the woods, off the beaten paths. Ann was at her happiest being in nature, exploring new places, and taking photographs.

Ann was a fierce advocate for peace and justice. Around the outset of the Iraq war, she could be counted on to be at all the major protests in Austin, Texas. In more recent years, while living in Maryland, she loved going to rallies in DC on an array of progressive issues.

Ann was a big champion of her daughter, Liana, giving her lots of trust and freedom even when she was young. However, if she had a firm opinion on a matter, she did not hesitate to make it known. Overall, she had a consistent, quiet, deep presence and she gave so much love to her family.

Ann is survived by her husband, Doug; her siblings Tom, Ellen, and Amy; her daughter Liana; and her grandchildren Sasha and Chesa. She was predeceased by her parents, her sister Laurie, and her brother Mike.

Proposal letter to Ann Stark

Doug foxvog wrote this letter March 1, 1979, three months after meeting Ann Stark. It expresses why he wants to marry her and it became the basis for his oral proposal to Ann shortly afterwards. He never showed it to her.

Remembrances of Ann Stark

Ann & Doug at Liana's wedding Ann with Liana & Doug in the Burren, Ireland Ann with Doug in Miajima, Japan New Mexico Ann on private plane with Liana & Doug heading to Austin from NM Ann with portrait painter in Saigon 1974 Ann playing violin in Maryland 1981 Ann Stark on horseback 2016 Ann Stark rowing with Doug in NC 1980 Ann Stark canoeing with Snooper in NJ 1989 Rock Creek Park, DC Ann photographing Mayapples Ann along C & O Canal, MD

Ann feeding a hummingbird in Jamaica 2022 Ann on Inishmeer Island, Galway, Ireland Texas New Mexico Ann at first Reagan inauguration Ann with Irish coffee where Irish coffee was invented Ann preparing for Austin demonstration Ann with Liana in NC 1981 Ann in Hefei, Anhui, China, with fellow teachers, Liana, other teacher's daughter, school officials Ann with Liana December 1980

Ann on Colorado mountain Ann going down stairs to Jamaican raft trip Beach in Jamaica What obstacle? Ann in her backyard Austin pool Ann on Massachusetts beach Oulu, Finland Asheville, NC Austria holding tree frog in Costa Rica Ann by Poas Volcano, Costa Rica Ann in Finnish train sleeping car Ann in Islandic guest house Christmas dinner in Sicily Ann sipping a Bailey's espresso in Sicily

Playing tambourine at father's celebration of life 1996 California Ann camping in arctic Finland with Doug & his college roommate 1992 Ann car camping in Sweden 1993 after a DC demonstration Ann on Great Wall of China with Doug & his parents Texas Texas Ann in a Japanese bath Costa Rica Tucan play that game on El Salvador delegation Iceland repast Ann on Islandic whale watching boat Ann checking out ancient Roman Segesta Theatre in Sicily