Ann Sipavich was born in Mackville, Kentucky on February 3, 1925, to Thomas Durr and Laura Lee (Board) Durr. When Ann was 13 months old her family moved to DeKalb County, Illinois. She was a 1943 graduate of Kirkland High School, Kirkland, IL. She died March 3, 2023, at the age of 98 in Salina, KS, at Eaglecrest, where she had lived for the past 10 years.

Ann first married Delmer Way and after that marriage ended, she married William Sipavich in 1953. She and Bill were married for 47 years.

Ann worked throughout her life and took pride in doing a good job. Her first job, at age 16, was as a waitress at a diner. She was working at the diner the day Pearl Harbor was bombed and was prompted by a customer to turn the radio up so he could hear the news. She worked in several places during her life and will be best known for being the head of the housewares department at Ace Hardware, several years at DeKalb Ag Research, and as a “lunch lady” at Northern Illinois University dorms.

Ann was a wonderful mother and wanted nothing more than to see her children reach adulthood as happy individuals. She supported her children in pursuing their vastly different interests throughout their lives, and expressed her pride in their accomplishments. She was an excellent cook and often served company untried recipes because she’d know it was a keeper if people took second helpings. She loved getting together with family and friends; it was a common occurrence for friends to drop in for a visit, knowing the coffee would be on and cookies close at hand. Ann was beloved by her children’s friends and she loved hearing news about them through the years. She loved to crochet, learning the craft in midlife, and produced an impressive number of baby blankets and afghans. Ann was known for her sense of humor, which remained intact to the end. She was a member of First Baptist Church in DeKalb for 50+ years and took great comfort in her faith. Even as dementia took its toll, she could still recite the Lord’s Prayer.

Ann is survived by her daughter Lori (Nick) Berezovsky, Salina, KS, sister-in-law Gloria Durr, grandchildren Angela (Mark) Gorman, Carri (Mike) Novak, Max (Iryna) Berezovsky, and Zoya (Max) Zhuravlov, 12 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother John O. Durr, sister Nancy Whitney, son Curtis Way, and grandson Travis Way.

Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, 349 S. 3rd St., DeKalb, IL 60115.

Funeral services will be announced at a later date to be held in DeKalb.