Ann Elliott

Ann Elliott was a daughter, wife, mother, teacher, artist and author during her 85 years here on Earth.
Elizabeth Ann Brown was born Sept. 15, 1935 in Springfield, Mo. to Frisco Railroad water tower tester Irwin Caleb Brown and pulpit supply or lay pastor June Kahler Brown. The Central High School Class of 1953 graduate went to the then-Southwest Missouri State College to attain bachelor degrees in art, Spanish and teaching.
The now-Missouri State University Class of 1957 graduate started her teaching career at Flint (Mich.) City Public Schools district — where she met Walter R. Elliott. Ann B. and Walter Elliott married in 1958 and settled in Orange, NJ. They bore and raised their only son, Walter F. Elliott, during their 46 years together in Orange.
Ann Elliott resumed her teaching career as the Orange Public Schools’ Alternative Learning Center’s yoga instructor in 1970-71. She was author, recipe maker and illustrator of New York City’s Infinity Natural Foods Cookbook in 1971. She was also clerk at the Guru Religious Store on Newark’s New Street 1968-78.
Ann Elliott also pursued art, from ceramics to making “Mugwump” sock-and-rag dolls. She was best known for her award-winning surreal oil-on-canvas paintings at the Greenwich Village, Irvington and South Orange art shows.
Curiosity over a tapestry’s lettering on display at Independence, Mo. ‘s Harry S. Truman Museum in 1975 led to learning Tibetian with the help of linguistics professor and brother-in-law Charles Elliott. They first learned the language by learning Sanskrit – South Asia’s equivalent of Latin – and composed their own textbook. Ann was able to read, speak and write Tibetian, which she used to help with translating application forms and meditation sessions at New York City’s Jetsun Sakya Center.
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Montclair, Jetsun Sakya and Paramus’ Maranatha Church of the Nazarene were among her memberships at different times. She eventually took up Roman Catholic Initiation for Adults classes and considered herself Roman Catholic in her last years.
Ann’s stylized bust of Jesus Christ, carved in 1955, remains on display in a Springfield, Mo. mainline church entrance lobby.
Ann Brown Elliott, 86, died in the then-East Orange General Hospital May 3, 2021.
Son Walter, daughter-in-law Naomi and in-law nephew Charles “Chas” and niece Carol Elliott, of New York’s Tompkins County, are among her survivors.
Ann and Walter R. Elliott’s memorial service has been scheduled for Noon July 29 at Bethel New Life Community Outreach, at Grace UAME, 450 North Maple Ave., East Orange, NJ 07017 Their remains’ final repose will be private.
Last rite arrangements were made with G.G. Woody Funeral Home, of Roselle.
Memorial donations may be made to Indycar Ministry, PO BOX 24297, Speedway, IN. 46224. Condolences may be posted at
ggwoodyfuneralhome.com and/or sent to 56-62 Halleck St., No. 301, Newark, NJ 07104.