Ann Blandford Herr

Herr, Ann Blandford, age 84, of Oakwood, Ohio died July 25, 2025.

Born August 8, 1940, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Graduate of E.J. Brown School and Fairview High School, both Dayton, Ohio, and of Centre College, Danville, Kentucky.

Preceded in death by parents Joel and Elva (Moffett) Blandford.

Survived by:

Soulmate and husband Stanley “Stan” Herr

Son Stephen Herr (Pandora Smolinski)

Daughter Elizabeth Herr (DJ Miller)

Grandchildren Hannah Russell-Goodson (Jon Schoonhoven), Joel and Annie Miller, and Savannah Allen

Great grandchildren Clementine Williams and August Schoonhoven

Also survived by adored sister Elizabeth “Betty” Gerber (Dixon Gerber) and cherished niece and nephews David Gerber (Sarah Sullivan) - Colton, Ajay, Ethan, Spencer, Cooper, Quinn, and Anthony

Ann Gerber Hawkins (Adam Hawkins) - Dixon, Harris, and Emerson

Patrick Gerber (Holly Weber Gerber) - Maddox and Maya

Ann Moffett Blandford’s first accomplishment was having a little sister, Betty, and she may have remained proudest of that her whole life. Ann and Betty were best friends, enjoying adventures with and without their mother, and they remained in constant communication right up until the end of Ann’s life.

After college Ann was employed by Westminster as executive secretary to nationally renowned pastor, preacher, and author Frederick Bruce Speakman. The Speakmans also became like family to the Blandfords. In the fall of 1964, at a Young Adult Group picnic, Ann met a new Air Force junior officer from a research lab at Wright Patterson AFB, and they immediately became close friends, constantly finding fun activities to do together. Ten months later she at last caught his romantic attention, and Stan and Ann married at Westminster in June of 1966. Their love affair has been a wonder the entire 61 years: two powerful intellects constantly seeking and enjoying new topics of consideration and conversation together. She rolled her eyes about everyone calling her husband “St. Stan,” but truly she could not have been more blessed in having his incredibly faithful support through 59 years of marriage, especially the last decade.

Ann continued to work for Dr Speakman until the birth of her first child, Stephen, in 1969. While adjusting to her life as a new mother, Ann also started on her path of being a “professional volunteer.” At the time of Elizabeth’s birth in 1973 she was a very joyful Girl Scout troop leader. Ann was an active member of the Junior League of Dayton, where she eventually became Treasurer. With her typical curiosity and acumen, she attended financial training in Delaware, and that education and interest later led to her taking MBA courses at the University of Dayton. She served a term, along with Stan, on the Dayton Art Institute’s Associate Board, helping to organize and run DAI’s major annual fundraisers. As a member of the Kiwanis Club of Dayton Ann was very proud to organize the Rae Burick Women in Sports awards. She valued her longtime participation in the Four Seasons Garden Club, as well as many years as a sustaining member of the Junior League.

Ann loved her Kentucky heritage. She was proud to have graduated from the same Kentucky college attended by her grandmother and her father, Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. Her Centre friendships, with classmates and younger alumni, continued to bring her joy up to her death. Together she and Stan perfected their annual Kentucky Derby party, continuing her father’s tradition and extending it to more than 60 years.

At Centre, Ann majored in biology, and when she set aside her dream of becoming a physician, she found volunteer work that let her live a part of that vision, serving on the original 648 Board of Dayton Children’s Psychiatric Hospital when it was established in 1967 by the State of Ohio; on the board of the Dayton Visiting Nurses Association (including as president), and on the City of Oakwood Board of Health, at the time the only non-physician to serve on the board. She was also always up for a kitchen, bathtub, or backyard science experiment.

When Stephen left for college, Ann re-entered the workforce as a stockbroker for the firm of Cowan, Greene, & Ladd. She moved from that firm to Dean Witter Reynolds, which was later acquired by Morgan Stanley. Ann most enjoyed helping young people and single women, often widows, learn about and make the most of their finances, believing always that true wealth was not having a lot of money, but rather having a lot of understanding and control of one's money. For a couple of years early in her career, Ann presented the daily stock report for public and commercial radio, and was occasionally interviewed about women and investing on local television. Ann eventually reached the level of Associate Vice President at Morgan Stanley and retired from there in 2005.

Ann was a cradle Presbyterian and a “nursery” Westminsterite, having begun attending Westminster Presbyterian Church in downtown Dayton at age 2. She was an Elder, a Deacon, and a Trustee at Westminster, loved serving communion, learning the business side of church leadership, and finding wise ways to talk about stewardship as a leader in multiple church giving campaigns. For decades Ann was the person who directed the decorating of the sanctuary for Christmas and Easter. She trusted teams of capable and creative individuals to manage many aspects of the decorations, but maintained strict personal control of all things ribbon, as she was the master at tying big, gorgeous bows. For two decades Ann and her family served as greeters at Westminster’s packed Christmas Eve service, when Ann delighted as much in the new faces pouring in the doors as the faces of homecoming children of the church. More recently Ann found other ways to amp up the tradition of beautiful hospitality at Westminster, particularly in the last ten years, coordinating the exuberant flower arrangements that members donated weekly in honor or memory of friends and family, and catalyzing a new ministry of vibrant and generous funeral receptions at the church.

Ann loved parties: having them, attending them, and remembering them in exact and appreciative detail. Whether informal or formal, her meals were legendary, and anyone who ate at the Herrs’ wanted to come back again, to be served supremely tasty food at a table that sparkled with beautiful dishes and rang with laughter and stories. Her vision of the heavenly kingdom was a dinner party at a long-crowded table, preferably outside, where everyone had so much fun talking that no one ever remembered to bring out the dessert.

Ann delighted in her Oakwood neighbors, especially the group of friend families that had same-age children. She also held dear the bright and interested couples Ann and Stan dined with and attended arts and literary events with, and the friends in their Presbyterian couples’ group “the Nus.” The kind and intelligent women of the Friday Afternoon Club (a women’s seminar), the Garden Road Bible Study (where she reveled in being both the oldest and the most liberal member), and particularly the very dear sisterhood of her Filia group from Westminster were a constant joy. She cherished the friendship of the three cousins she spent so much time with as a girl, and who grew up to be women and mothers that she admired. Ann also loved to spend time with Stan’s family, whose bright curiosity and warm kindness resonated with what she loved in him.

Ann had a voracious appetite for learning – there was no place or people, science or art that she didn’t want to know more about. Ann and Stan traveled to Europe, South America, North Africa, the Middle East and Turkey, and almost every place in North America and the Caribbean. They made friends everywhere they went, especially in South Carolina where they had a condo on the Inland Waterway, and on Drummond Island off the eastern tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where they spent as much time as they could visiting Ann’s sister Betty and her husband Dick.

Ann was amazed by the many talents of her two children, their kids, and step kids, and she always loved visits from out of town nieces and nephews. She was a great conversationalist, and her warmth and curiosity caused people to be as delighted to meet her as she always was to meet them.

Ann will be interred alongside her parents at Woodland Cemetery, Dayton.

Join us for a Service of Witness to the Resurrection.

September 13, 2025, at 2 pm

Westminster Presbyterian Church, Dayton, Ohio

Visitation and reception in the fellowship hall following the service.

Officiating Pastors: Rev. Dr. Caitlin Deyerle, Rev. Dr. Richard Baker, Rev. Nancy Hodgkins, and Rev. John Neely.

The family would like to express our thanks for the wonderful help and care provided by Hospice of Dayton, and for the support and friendship of Sarah Richison.

If desired, contributions may be made in Ann’s memory to Westminster Presbyterian Church, 125 N. Wilkinson Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402, or at WestminsterDayton.org, or to an environmental or progressive organization of your choice.