Anne Marie Golden

Anne Marie Gorman Golden , 85, of North Kingstown, RI, died on June 29, 2018 surrounded by her loving children.

Anne was born on April 21, 1933 in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in a large Irish Catholic family, the daughter of the late Anna (Miller) and Aloysius Gorman. The seventh of eight children, Anne adored her siblings Jerry, Jim, Pat, Kathleen, Jean, Ed, and Helen. She graduated from St. John’s College with a degree in English and later earned a master’s degree in education from Adelphi University. A lifelong lover of learning, Anne continued to take courses in a great variety of subjects, studying anything that caught her fancy. Perhaps that’s why she was able to complete the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle in pen!

In 1955, Anne married her soulmate and love of her life, Jim Golden. Together, they raised their children Stephen, Kristen, and Joanne in Hauppauge, NY. Jim was in the Air Force and became a commercial airline pilot, a profession that led them to travel all over the world. They enjoyed 61 years of wedded bliss, delighting in each other’s company--whether in a small trailer in Texas or on a huge cruise ship sailing through the Norwegian fjords; at the Louvre museum in Paris or in the audience of Les Miserables , their favorite musical; camping in a rain-soaked tent at Fish Creek Pond with their kids or hosting Fake Thanksgiving in October at their home surrounded by their many grandkids, family, and friends. They also spent many delightful winters in sunny Clearwater Beach and later in Naples, Florida.

Anne was an excellent elementary school teacher, primarily working in the 3rd through 5th grades in Commack, NY. She was a compassionate teacher who often noticed and supported the kids who were struggling in school and at home well before that was common. By the end of her career, she was being requested by so many parents that her classroom was bursting at the seams. Anne was a talented quilter and a voracious reader. Her unparalleled correct use of grammar is a value she passed on to each of her children and grandchildren. She was a strong, complex woman who was often solely responsible for the kids while Jim was away flying; and yet she would dissolve in the presence of a garden snake or at even the thought of being tickled!

Having grown up in a large family, Anne enjoyed spending time surrounded by her children, her nieces and nephews, and her grandchildren. She especially loved her biannual reunions with her siblings and the hilarious road trips with her four sisters driving from Florida to Rhode Island. Coming from very humble beginnings, she would say, “Life is what you make of it. Nobody promised you fair.” She made quite a life for herself and her family, and she will be dearly missed.

Anne was predeceased by her beloved husband Jim, and is survived by her children and spouses Stephen and and his wife Beth (Karp), Kristen and her wife Barbara Findlen, and Joanne and her husband John Quinn; grandchildren Adrienne and Jessica Golden, Grace and Sam Findlen-Golden, and Michael, Daniel, and Patrick Quinn; sisters Pat, Kathleen, and Helen; and many nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by her infant daughter Kimberly Anne, her brothers Jerry, Jim, and Ed Gorman, and her sister Jean (Gorman) Burns.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday, July 3 ^rd at 10:00am at St. Francis de Sales Church, School St., North Kingstown.  Burial will be in Quidnessett Memorial Cemetery, North Kingstown.  Calling hours: Monday, July 2 ^nd from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at the Hill Funeral Home, 822 Main St., East Greenwich. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Autism Project at theautismproject.org or 1516 Atwood Avenue, Johnston RI 02919.