Ann Cooper Phythian
Ann died peacefully on Feb. 26, 2017 after a long battle with dementia. She was born on May 27, 1936 in Montreal, Canada to Charles Edwin and Dorothy Payling Cooper, and raised in San Francisco. Ann led an active academic and social life at the Hamlin School and Stanford University. She met Phillip D. Phythian in Palo Alto and they were married in 1959. Ann worked for Wells Fargo and a small publisher until the birth of their first child. Ann and Phil lived in the city and on the peninsula before settling in Mill Valley.
After staying home with her children for their early years, Ann returned to work as an administrative aide at Tam High. She wore several hats, brightening the corridors of Wood Hall with colorful clothes, colorful language, a kind word, and encouraging smile for the students and staff whom she considered family.
Ann enjoyed working with her hands, was artistic by nature, and mastered many arts and crafts including stained glass, tilework, and knitting. She joined the Artisan’s Gallery and the Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley, delighting in friends who shared her interests in art, gardening, bridge, reading, and writing. Ann’s passion for genealogy compelled her to research and write a detailed family history.
Ann loved the outdoors and was a longtime member of the Sierra Club. She often hiked the trails of Mt. Tam, the Marin Headlands and the Sierras. Ann met the second love of her life, Mark Sapiro, on a backpacking trip. Once Ann retired she and Mark traveled extensively and experienced several adventures together, from rafting in Utah to a trek to Machu Picchu.
An amazing spirit, Ann was joyful, creative, bright, kind, curious, witty, and generous. She will be dearly missed by her partner, Mark Sapiro; her former husband and friend, Phillip Phythian; her beloved sister, Elizabeth Star; her children, Doug Phythian (Evelina), Charles Phythian, and Liz Dorfman (Eric); and her grandsons, Sam Dorfman, Joshua Phythian, Isaac Dorfman, and Arthur Phythian.
A celebration of Ann’s life will be held on May 27, 2017 at 3 p.m. at the Muir Woods Park Clubhouse at 40 Ridge Rd. in Mill Valley. Carpooling is encouraged. In lieu of flowers, Ann’s family suggests a donation to the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood or the ACLU. The family is grateful to everyone at A Loving Touch Care Home in Corte Madera.