PETLEY-JONES (Renouf), Ann

October 1, 1946 - December 12, 2019. Beloved by all who knew her, Ann PetleyJones (Renouf) departed this world on December 12th after a brief illness. Predeceased by her dearly loved husband, Evan William. Survived by her son, Evan Harold whom she loved fiercely, and her Renouf siblings, Janet, Robert (Barbara), Susan (Scott Thompson) and their families, as well as a wide circle of close friends on two continents. A pioneering systems analyst and technology executive, Ann blazed trails as a female tech expert, first with IBM, later with LinkBermuda and finally with her own company, Riverhead Investments. In business, she was tough and fair. She loved negotiating and making deals, loved the way every new deal taught her something. Ann believed deeply in giving back to the community, involved at various times with Dalhousie University and its business school, the National Ballet School, the Sobey Art Foundation, The Nature Conservancy of Canada and most recently the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards for which she travelled the world, dedicating herself to expanding the reach of this renowned scholarship program. Ann had boundless energy and she lived with zest and joy. She loved a good party. She thought champagne and chocolate could solve most problems. She loved music and good books, particularly history. She loved bluewater sailing, even though she was always seasick, and had a fatal attraction to heritage houses that needed work. Above all though, she loved people - family, friends, business associates, neighbours - and she was always intensely interested in what people were up to. She had the gift of friendship. In recent years, Ann had split her time among Bermuda, Chester, N.S. and London, England. And in each place, she leaves dear friends and family who loved her verve, humour, intelligence and loyalty. A memorial service will be held in Halifax, at the Cathedral Church of All Saints, 1330 Cathedral Lane on January 8, 2020 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award/Canada, Ste 100, 215 Niagara St., Toronto, ON M6J 2L2, https://www.dukeofed.org/ donate