Ann Willett

ANN MARIE WILLETT

Tama

Ann Marie Willett, 50, of Burlington, formerly of Cedar Rapids and Tama, passed away peacefully with her parents by her side on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, at the Great River Home Health and Hospice in West Burlington. A memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 28, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Tama, with the Rev. Warren Riley officiating. A memorial visitation will be Thursday, Oct. 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Kruse-Phillips Funeral Home in Tama.

Ann was born Jan. 11, 1966, in Iowa City, Iowa, the daughter of John and Sally (Kriegel) Willett.

Ann attended school at South Tama County Community School District and Pleasant Hill Developmental Center in Marshalltown, graduating in 1987. While at Pleasant Hill, she participated in basketball and track. Ann was Homecoming Queen and a cheerleader. She was active until her 40s in Special Olympics and mixed league sports in the Cedar Rapids area and many social events in the Cedar Rapids Rec program. Ann was active in the Marshalltown CIRSA, Cedar Rapids area REM Iowa and in the Burlington area OPTIMAE Life Services.

Ann was employed at Ryan's Steakhouse in Cedar Rapids and was in charge of the salad bar. She also had worked at Culver's in Marion, McDonald's in Marshalltown and Dairy Queen in Cedar Rapids.

Survivors include her parents, John and Sally Willett of Tama; one brother, David (Kristen) Willett of Powell, Ohio; nieces and nephew, Alana Willett, Hayley and Gavin Sweetin; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

Preceding her in death were her grandparents, Walter and Marie Willett, and Leonard and Lillian Kriegel; one aunt, Anna Lea (Kriegel) Arnold; and two cousins, Tommy Hopper and Jeff Doran.

A memorial fund has been established.

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." ~ Dr. Seuss