“Verily, I say unto you , inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me.” In Matthew 25:45 is the saying that Anne Thackery lived her life by. Family members, friends, teaching colleagues, and anyone who met her will smile and nod their heads at this saying, acknowledging the many instances where they witnessed Anne living this message to the fullest, on a daily basis.
Anne Marie Thackery was born in Iowa, the daughter of George and Dorothy Wolfe. She graduated from Washington High School (Indiana) and then Ball State University with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education. She married Todd Thackery in 1981, and together they raised four children in Brookville: Katie, Adam, Hannah, and Abigail. She was also a doting grandmother to her cherished grandchildren: Gideon, Ezra, and Charlotte Anne.
Anne taught Special Education students at Laurel Elementary School and Brookville Elementary School before retiring in 2016. In the 36 years that spanned Mrs. Thackery’s career, she always looked for and found the “ability” in any child with a “disability” in her classroom. Their strengths were her passion and her focus, and she lovingly celebrated their accomplishments with them.
Anne fought a long and valiant battle with cancer, helping others along her journey by agreeing to participate in research trials in order to find ways to combat her type of cancer. Sadly, Anne passed away on September 29, 2024, but her beautiful smile and unforgettable laugh will be remembered by all whose lives she touched and enriched.
The Franklin County Arts Council has established The Anne Thackery Children’s Endowment for the Arts in her memory, as Anne and Todd were avid supporters of the programs of the Arts Council, oftentimes bringing their grandchildren to the performances. This endowment will be used to sponsor arts programs for children in Franklin County, both in schools and in the community. These programs will include all genres of the arts; including the musical and dance arts, dramatic arts, visual arts, and literary arts. Ann would approve of this plan to provide arts exposure to all children, in keeping with her Matthew 25:45 belief that “…the least of these…” will be able to experience opportunities to grow.