Ann Priscilla Case
Ann Case chose to go back to the stars after 2 ½ years of living with cancer. She was born Ann Priscilla Horsey on Jan. 23rd, 1938, to parents Frank Alfonso Horsey and Dora Eileen Horsey. She and her younger sister Pamela Jane Horsey and her parents lived in a small town called Street in Somerset County, England.
Mum was truly a Renaissance woman who had a life full of adventures & travels with many friends and a much loved family. She opened her own business in 1972 with her sister Pamela, a consignment and retro clothing store called Penny Wise, that flourished in the town of Yeovil, Somerset where she resided for 40 years. Ann was also the founder of the Well Women’s Clinic and also very active with other local charities. She was the President of the South Western Society for Autistic Adults/Children and organized fund raising events and awareness for this cause that was so close to her heart. Her only son Nigel Lofton Smith was autistic and passed in 1996 at the age of 34. Ann brought many people together through her involvement the Chess Dining Club for single people, and her Walking Group called Ramblers. She is still remembered for matchmaking more than a few romantic pairings over the years. She had a wonderful sense of humor and was always in motion. She loved to dance, attend live music concerts, and even went on stage when invited by Chuck Berry when he was performing in Bristol.
After many visits to Santa Barbara to be with her daughter Kerrie Smith and her two grandsons Ben Kilpatrick and Sam Kilpatrick, she made the big decision to move full time to Santa Barbara at age of 76. Ann loved her days here and her cozy home that was especially built for her, right next to Kerrie and the boys. It was a good life surrounded with her family, including her recent great grandson Alexander Jude, as well as her new friendships that formed when she began a British Ladies Club.
Ann made the most of life, she loved to meet her friends at Java Station for morning coffee and talk American politics, and how to right the world. Always lively, smiling, and energetic even in the early days of her cancer diagnosis, she never let it take the wind out of her sails. She really was the best role mother and friend in so many ways.
Ann moved to Sarah House Hospice in December, 2023. She had volunteered for Sarah House fundraisers, and helped her daughter Kerrie who was a board member and volunteer for 9 years. She loved it there in her buttercup yellow room with a garden view. She knew all the staff by name and so appreciated their love and care. By the middle of April, she was beginning to suffer from cancer fatigue and in her words was “ready to go back to the stars”. She elected to leave with the help of VSED and passed very peacefully on May 2nd. Ann was a humanist and had no fear about leaving. She had spent the previous two days at home, enjoying the garden, and surrounded with the love of her family and friends. She will be remembered and celebrated as a brave and courageous grandmother, mother, sister, daughter, and friend. Her final wish is that donations be made to Sarah House in her name. www.SarahHousesb.org.