Former Commodore Ann Sieck
Ann Sieck passed away on March 16th after a short (non-coronavirus related) illness.
Ann was an intrepid soul who loved to venture out in the wild outdoors embracing all aspects of nature. While MS put her in an electric wheelchair, her disability never defined her nor dampened her joie de vivre. Ann was an avid nature enthusiast and loved the gambit our Bay Area environment has to offer. From the quiet pleasures of birdwatching to the great challenges of high peaks, rugged trails and windy conditions. She was always one to go off the beaten path, both literally and figuratively.
Ann loved to sail and served as Commodore of the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors from 1999–2001. Never one to be confined, she relished the freedom of leaving her wheelchair on the dock as she sat behind the tiller to skipper Endless Time. Long after she moved away from sailing, her husband of 44 years, Dan Hill, continued to serve as the BAADS bosun with their longtime friend, Dan Sullivan. The two Dan’s were the driving force in the early days of the small boat program.
Ann then followed her heart to another passion, this time making our state and local shorelines, parks and trails accessible to those with disabilities. She volunteered to work with her friend Bonnie Lewkowicz with Access Northern California to survey outdoor recreational areas and write detailed descriptions of the trails and outdoor spaces. Her loving husband and trusty sidekick, Dan, took many beautiful photographs of the paths, facilities, flora and fauna. Ann accurately described the conditions she encountered and was able to take her electric wheelchair to many locales one would never think possible. She also enjoyed writing numerous articles for Bay Nature and worked to ensure as many pieces as possible included access information.
Ann fully embraced life. She loved to boast that she and Dan once lived for a year in an old school bus in Santa Rosa. The young couple moved back to Berkeley when their first child was born and life in the bus became too cramped. She and Dan had two loving children, Ben and Foresta, who live close by. In fact, Foresta, her two small children, Josefina and Miguel, and her esposo, Daniel from Chile, live just upstairs. They are a close-knit family who love to play games, get together weekly for dinner and explore nature on long camping and backpack trips into the wilderness.
Although she is no longer physically with us, her spirit is deeply felt. Ann left an indelible mark not only on our lives but also making the world a better place for people with disabilities. She was a brave trailblazer, loving wife, mother and grandmother as well as a truly loyal friend. Ann, I will miss our spirited discussions, trips to the botanical garden and many adventures. And I will miss your quick wit, lasagna with cinnamon, latkes at Chanukah and birthday barbecues. But most of all, I will miss you.