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Ann Prosswimmer Pratt, 83, of Essex passed away on March 8 after a valiant struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Ann, daughter of the late Rudolph and Emma Prosswimmer, is survived by her loving husband Robert; sister Nancy Conroy; brother R. Alan Prosswimmer; daughters Cynthia and Carrie; grandchildren Kwena and Tumi; and several nieces and nephews.

Ann was raised in Rockville Center, New York, and attended high school at the Ashley Hall School in Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1955, where she majored in art history and was a member of the water ballet team. Ann later studied occupational therapy at Northeastern University. Ann and Bob started their married life in Providence, Rhode Island, and lived for extended periods in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Greenwich, Louisville, Kentucky, Simsbury, and Rye, New York, before they settled in Essex. In each location, Ann was an active supporter of the arts, including The Louisville School of Art and The Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts. Always generous with her time, Ann volunteered formally at a number of organizations, including at the McLean Home in Simsbury and for several years at the “30th Twig” at the former United Hospital in Port Chester, New York.

Ann was a giving and generous spirit whose greatest happiness was supporting and serving others. Her passion for life was expressed in a playful sense of humor, a deep appreciation of art and literature, a love of travel, and a good glass of wine. Ann’s husband and family were the center of her life. She raised two adventurous daughters whose lives led them overseas, doted on her grandchildren, and was a loving daughter, sister, and aunt to her many nieces and nephews. For her extended family, she hosted holiday dinners, graduation parties, wedding showers, as well as benefits and dinner parties, all with a seemingly effortless grace and ease. An enthusiastic traveler, she relished sailing excursions with friends and exploring diverse countries and cultures. Her joy for life was contagious and she planted seeds of love wherever she went.

Interment will be held at 10:30 a.m. on May 6 at the Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, Rhode Island, followed by a memorial service to celebrate her life. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association of Connecticut, 200 Executive Blvd., Ste. 4B, Southington, CT 06489. To share a memory of Ann or send a condolence to her family, please visit www.rwwfh.com. Arrangements by the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home in Centerbrook.