Anne Humble

Anne Humble

Anne Barry Humble of Longmont, Colorado passed away peacefully on November 12th, 2024, surrounded by family.

Anne was born on October 19, 1937, in New Bedford, Massachusetts and raised there by her mother, Louise (Sowle) Barry. In her youth she was an avid sailor, learning to sail Beetle Cats in the waters around New Bedford and Cape Cod, and eventually going on to crew the brigantine Yankee out of Boston and Gloucester on adventures up and down the east coast. She was also an excellent tennis player and skier, and enjoyed doing just about anything else that would get her outside having fun with her friends.

Upon graduating from New Bedford High School, she was awarded a scholarship to the Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing. She enrolled there and set her course for what would become her professional passion.

After graduating from the Mass. General program Anne moved to Boulder to continue her education at the University of Colorado (and to ski). In Boulder she met J. Raymond (Ray) Humble Jr., and in 1960 they traveled to South Bend Indiana to be married in the log chapel on the campus of Ray's alma mater, the University of Notre Dame. They returned and settled into life in Boulder where they raised their five children - Kim, Cindy, Eric, Tom, and Jennifer. Anne was an amazing, devoted mother. She made everything work, and did so with unforgettable kindness and grace. She made everyone feel loved and special, and made sure their home was always full of fun and laughter.

As the children grew and time allowed, Anne returned to nursing. She took great pride in her 30+ years at Boulder Community Hospital, first as a floor nurse then on the cardiac telemetry unit. To this day her children meet people who rave about the care they received from her, or how proud they are to have worked with and learned from Anne. Her work, like all other aspects of her life, was infused with compassion and humor - and a little mischief, just to keep things interesting.

She and Ray retired in Longmont where they enjoyed playing golf, spending time with their many friends and their growing family, playing the eternal cribbage match for $0.25 cents a game, and volunteering in different capacities at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church until it became too difficult.

Though Anne moved to Colorado as a young adult and loved the Boulder area, the mountains, and the Buffs, she was a New Englander her entire life. Memories of her mother, her brother, her ocean, and the people and places from her childhood in her beloved New England remained with her even as most others slipped away.

Anne was preceded in death by her mother Louise Barry, her loving and devoted husband Ray, her dear brother David Barry, and David's wife Sally. She is survived by her five children - Kim Smith of Erie, Cindy Smario of Longmont, Eric (Rebecca Mongeon) of Boulder, Tom (Nicole Martinez-Smathers) of Longmont, and Jennifer (Scott Gaensslen) of Fort Collins; five grandchildren - Brendan Smith (Emma) of Erie, Kayla (Cameron) Woods of Loveland, Nicholas (Tori) Smario of Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA, Katy Humble of San Diego, CA, and Caleb Humble of Longmont; and two great grandchildren - Aurora and Olen Smith.

The family wishes to thank the staff at Morningstar Senior Living in Boulder for the care and kindness they provided Anne in the final year of her life, and the good people at Tru Community Hospice for their compassion and the peace they helped provide for Anne - and all of us - in her final days.

A Funeral Mass will be said at 10:30am on Thursday, November 21st, at Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 3791 Pike Rd, Longmont, CO. A brief reception will be held after mass, followed by an interment ceremony at Mountain View Memorial Park, 3016 Kalmia Avenue, Boulder.

In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to Tru Community Hospice, or another worthy charitable organization.