Anne Speer Knapp, of Bellingham, Washington, passed away on May 24, 2024 at 78 years of age surrounded by family and close friends. She was born on June 1, 1945 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to James and Florence Speer. Soon thereafter, her family moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina and later to Hinsdale, Illinois.

Anne received her BA from Macalester College in Political Science and International Relations and an MA from Purdue University in Consumer Economics. Early on in her career, Anne worked as VP for Frances Slocum Bank & Trust in Wabash, Indiana. Fueled by her desire to help others and the community, coupled with her strong interest in supporting higher education, her career path shifted when she took on the role as VP of Institutional Advancement at Manchester College in Indiana. Her lifelong philanthropic involvement and passion for helping others and the community continued on through her work at other charitable organizations which included the American Heart Association, Woodland Park Zoo and Northwest Harvest in the State of Washington. She found great joy in introducing families and their children to new opportunities and experiences at the zoo, which led her to develop a family philanthropy program. Anne was fortunate to end her career with Northwest Harvest where she applied a lifetime of personal experience and professional knowledge to help further the organization's mission.

Some would say though that Anne found true joy in the kitchen cooking up delicious dishes such as her fabulous spaghetti and meatballs or snowshoeing on the white winter slopes of Mount Baker with her dear friends or letting her sense of adventure run wild with her grandsons while riding motorcycles or taking to the sky in small planes. Her interests were as numerous as the stars. She always had a sense of curiosity and fascination for the world around her and how people connected to the world and to each other. She was a lifelong learner, never fossilized in the past, but rather open to always exploring what the future had in store for her.

Anne leaves behind a lasting legacy that touches the hearts of those who knew her. She is survived by her son Aaron, her daughter-in-law Janice and her two grandchildren Christian and Caleb, along with a close community of friends. She was an inspiration and a mentor to many and will be dearly missed by all who knew her. A private gathering with close friends and family was held in Anacortes, WA on August 18, 2024, for a celebration of Anne's life. Donations can be made in Anne's memory to Hospice of the Northwest at www.hospicenw.org or Northwest Harvest at www.northwestharvest.org.