Ann Kneisel Obituary

Ann Henningsen Kneisel
Ann (Elizabeth) Henningsen Kneisel died peacefully in Boston on July 12, 2024. She died in her home of forty years overlooking the Charles River with her family and her devoted caregivers by her side. She was 98 years old. Ann was born February 19, 1926, in New York City to Victor and Muriel Henningsen, raised in Pelham Manor, New York, attended the Ursuline School in New Rochelle, Manhattanville College, and in 1979 – at the age of 53 – received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard College.
She met her future husband, Dr. John J. Kneisel, while he was on home leave from an Army medical unit in the South Pacific at the close of World War II. They married in 1946 and raised four children, moving for John's work from Brookline, MA to Briarcliff, NY to Pine Orchard, CT before settling in Boston. They shared a deep appreciation of nature, the arts, literature, and an ongoing interest in the events of the world.
Ann brought great enthusiasm to all her endeavors, but none more so than to her role as a mother. She was an easy going, joyful mother; loyal, supportive and quick to laughter. She had a gift for connecting to each of her children and grandchildren, honoring and celebrating their unique qualities and interests. She loved cheering on teams of all kinds, from Little League in Briarcliff to the struggling and finally victorious (2004) Red Sox. She was proud of her Red Sox license plates.
She lived a life imbued with passion and curiosity. Ann was characterized in a Boston Globe Observer column as a 'real pistol.' She was that and more. Her first job after moving with her husband and two small boys to Briarcliff Manor was as Director of Volunteers at the original United Nations site in Lake Success, New York. She was one of the founders of the Briarcliff Nursery School in Scarborough, NY and sat on its Board. She also sat on the Board of Henningsen Foods, an agribusiness company founded in 1885 by her great grandfather. She was a member of the League of Women Voters and a board member of the Interfaith Counseling Service. She was a member of the Garden Club of the Back Bay and served for several terms as President. It was under her enthusiastic guidance that in 1999, the Garden Club rescued four Japanese Maple trees from the Boston Public Library. A change in administration at the BPL resulted in a plan to cut down the trees and create a minimalist white gravel garden. The trees provided too much shade. The Garden Club banded together – they had been maintaining the garden in the BPL courtyard for years – hired a crane, lifted the four trees out one at a time, and transported them to the Mt. Auburn Cemetery, where today they grace the lovely circle just inside the front gates.
She continued and expanded upon one of her husband's passions, the love and appreciation of music, from classical to jazz to opera. She became an enthusiastic member of Opera Con Brio, under the spirited tutelage of Richard Beams, who not only lectured and conducted classes, but led his students on opera trips throughout the U.S. and Europe. Up until her very last years, Ann was a regular patron of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Ann was known for her warm welcome and great generosity of spirit. Because of the questions she would ask, she knew the stories of so many who had come to know her, no matter what role they had in her life. Many considered her an adopted mother, as she was quick to listen and nurture. Ann was the last survivor of her bridesmaids; high school and college classmates whom she treasured and stayed close with for over seventy years. In Boston her irrepressible band of Merry Matrons brought more enduring friendships and lively adventures. In the words of a great friend and contemporary, speaking for her many close friends in Boston, 'Our friends and I always used to say that we wanted to be Ann Kneisel when we grew up.'
A perfect summer included time on Lower Richardson Lake in Maine. What began as a single cabin at an old fishing camp for Ann and John - with trout fishing on the Rapid River - expanded as the family grew. It became a neighborhood of cabins teeming with her children and grandchildren, presided over by Ann from her favorite vantage point on a porch overlooking the lake. In the evening, she was often serenaded by the loons.
Ann was predeceased by her parents Muriel and Victor Henningsen, her brothers, Victor and Jack Henningsen, and her husband, John Kneisel. She is survived by her children William (Anne) of Manchester, MA and Greenwich, CT, Peter (Maryann) of Newton, MA, Elizabeth Krumeich (Edward) of Greenwich, CT, and Pamela Kneisel (the late Patrick Freund) of Thetford Center, VT. She was blessed with seven devoted grandchildren: Jamie and Tyler Kneisel, Christopher Kneisel, Sarah and Kel Krumeich, and Gabriel and Erica Freund; and six loving great grandchildren: William and Jack Kneisel, Dillon, Peter, and Bailey Kneisel, and Liliana Bloomberg Kneisel. She cherished and supported all her family in countless, quiet ways.
In her last years, Ann was cared for with great skill, warmth, and affection. Although there were many excellent caregivers, the family is particularly grateful to Sonia Janssen and Alpha Paradela, who were central to the professional care and heartfelt love Ann received through her final years. It was a blessing.
On August 16, 2024, Ann will be interred next to her late husband in the Spruce Knoll at Mt. Auburn Cemetery. There will be a celebration of her life at 11:00 a.m. in the Bigelow Chapel at the cemetery, once again surrounded by family and friends. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Women's Lunch Place, 67 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116.