Ann G Whitelaw

Ann Georgina Whitelaw passed away peacefully on 19 April 2026, at the age of ninety-one. She was born on 18 July 1934 on the Wirral Peninsula in England, and lived a life of remarkable breadth; from the bluebell woods and wartime kitchen gardens of her childhood, to Canada, Japan, the British Virgin Islands, Utah, Missouri and finally Colorado, where she made her home in her later years.

Ann grew up in Raby Mere and later in West Kirby and on the west coast of the Wirral, where she developed two loves that would define her throughout her life: a deep affinity for the natural world, and an abiding passion for horses. That passion came directly from her mother, Eileen Smith, who was herself an accomplished rider. Ann began riding as a small girl on a milk cart pony borrowed from the local farm, progressed through the semi-wild Welsh ponies her mother brought home from across the border, and never lost that connection. She rode, taught and cared for horses well into her adult life, ensuring that each of her three sons became a competent rider.

In 1952 she married Ralph George Whitelaw, a marine engineer whose long voyages had not prevented him from writing her, during her unhappy year at boarding school, the most beautiful letters she said she had ever received. Together they built a life of genuine adventure — Montreal, Cleveland, Yokohama, London — driven in equal measure by Ralph's career and Ann's own curiosity about the world. It was Ann's idea to have a sailboat built in Poole, England, for the purpose of sailing around the world. There is no question about who was captain, but it was his first mate who was the inspiration. Over eight years they sailed the west coast of Scotland, crossed the Atlantic via Portugal and the Canary Islands, and made their home in the British Virgin Islands.

When it was time to return to land, horses called them back. Ann and Ralph settled in Hurricane, Utah, where they kept three Missouri Fox Trotters — Charm, Dakota and Timepiece — riding through the arid, beautiful landscape with majestic views of Bryce Canyon. When the desert heat began to take a toll on the horses, Ann led the search for somewhere better. They found a ten-acre ranch outside Cedar Creek, Missouri, returning their horses, as she put it, to the lush grass of their origins. It was there that Ralph passed away in January 2018, on his way back from the barn after feeding the horses … a fitting end for a man who had lived the way he had. They had been married for more than sixty-five years.

When it became clear that life on the ranch alone was no longer practical, Ann's youngest son Robin brought her to Colorado, where she moved into independent and then assisted living. She was eighty-four. True to form, she did not merely adapt … she thrived. She made friends immediately, and by eighty-seven had become a volunteer ambassador, helping new residents find their footing in unfamiliar surroundings. In her final days, members of the care staff would come and sit quietly at her bedside. That, perhaps, tells you everything you need to know about the impression she had made.

As a mother, Ann was — in the words of her husband Ralph — her sons' "number one supporter and cheerleader." She never judged, never undermined, and was fiercely loyal. Her sons always knew it.

She began writing her memoir in her late eighties, a vivid account of her childhood and young life that she worried was too simple. It was not. It was beautiful, and it is the gift she has left us.

Ann is survived by her three sons: Colin Ralph Whitelaw, Chris John Whitelaw and Robin Mark Whitelaw; by her grandchildren Eleni, Sara and Bianca; and by her beloved sister, Jill Smith. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph George Whitelaw.

A celebration of her life will be held in her honor on Saturday, May 9th from 1pm – 2pm. 

For those of you who would like to read Ann’s “Memories of My Childhood” Click Here

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to any nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of abandoned or wild horses (see links below) … causes Ann would have championed without hesitation.