Ann DeWar Blecken's Obituary
Ann DeWar Blecken, widow of Robert Oliver Biecken died February 18, 2023 in Germantown, Tennessee. She was the daughter of the late Donald R. and Mary L. DeWar. She was a graduate of Hutchison School and Southwestern College (now Rhodes College). She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and served as its president her senior year. For many years she wrote a garden column for The Commercial Appeal and received a national award for the column from the Garden Writers Association in 1990. She and her husband escorted trips to the great gardens of Europe and the UK. Ann was a founding member of the Memphis Horticultural Society as was her husband and her brother the late Robert DeWar. She was a member of the Le Bonheur Club and the Le Bonheur Garden Club, The Memphis City Beautiful Commision, and the Memphis Symphony League.
She was a member of the Church of the Holy Communion where she sang in its first choir and served on the altar guild. She was a longtime supporter of the Memphis Botanical Garden, and the Blecken Pavilion is a lasting tribute to Ann and Bob atop the garden's lovely daffodil hill.
Mrs. Blecken is survived by three nieces, Karen Gordon, Kris Adams and Karol Hiegel: one nephew, Kenneth Blecken and many many friends.
Funeral Services for Mrs. Blecken will be conducted on Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 12:00pm at The Church of Holy Communion. Visitation will begin an hour prior to the service starting at 11:00am. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to The Memphis Botanical Garden and The Church of The Holy Communion in memory of Mrs. Ann Blecken.
What’s your fondest memory of Ann?
What’s a lesson you learned from Ann?
Share a story where Ann's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Ann you’ll never forget.
How did Ann make you smile?
