Joanne Maass

Joanne "Anne" R. Maass, age 90, passed away peacefully on Dec. 24, 2013. She was born in Bartlesville Oklahoma on Feb. 11, 1923, to Henrietta and Victor Volquarts.
Anne grew up in Fish Creek, Wisconsin and has always had a spiritual intimacy with that area of the state. She graduated from Carleton College in 1944. In 1949 she married W. C. "Bill" Maass in Madison and she resided in Madison for the remainder of her life.
Anne loved her family, traveling, music, and the natural world. She was highly interested in ecology and was well versed about wildflowers, trees, and a wide variety of animals. She was a naturalist at the Madison School Forest and a volunteer at the UW Arboretum for many years, passing on her passion for nature to both the young and the old. She communed with nature from the mountains to the oceans, including lakes, streams, prairies, forests, and even swamps, marshes, and bogs. She made numerous trips to Grand Teton National Park, her favorite place in the world. While vacationing in Florida she enjoyed walking the beaches, watching the birds and keeping an eye out for beautiful seashells.
Anne was kind and generous. She found strength, comfort, and joy in her deeply felt spirituality.
Anne is survived by her children; Randy Maass and his partner Ling Wu, Bob (Pat) Maass, and Libby (Tom) Sperr. She was a devoted grandmother to Kyle and Kelsey Maass and to Ben and Kiki Sperr. She is also survived by her sister, Elizabeth (Kurt) Welborn, Jr. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.
The family greatly appreciates the love and care provided by the staff of All Saint's Assisted Living and Agrace Hospice during the final stage of Anne's life.
No public services are planned. For those wishing to honor Anne's memory, donations to Nature Conservancy or the UW Arboretum are suggested.