Ann Kathleen Muir (née Downer)

Ann Kathleen Muir (née Downer), aged 83, passed away peacefully in her sleep on January 27, 2026, in London, Ontario.

The eldest daughter of Edna and Gael Downer, Ann was born in Northville, Michigan on March 26, 1942. While earning an English Degree and teaching certificate at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti in 1960, she met Darwin in a dance class – they danced out the door and married in 1963.

After giving birth to Kira in 1964, they lived in Hawaii, Ypsilanti, Halifax, and New Hampshire before returning to Halifax. During this time Ann supported Darwin’s academic pursuits.  She obtained her MA in English Literature at Dalhousie, taught at the Halifax Ladies College and worked towards and completed all of her requirements for her PHD in Canadian Literature at Dal, except for the final thesis.

When Darwin was offered his first post at Queen’s University in the Psychology Department in 1974, Ann said “take it!” and shifted her focus to raising a family which she did with great care, creativity and dedication. Kingston would become their permanent home where Krista (1975) and Kori (1978) were born. Ann was a rock to Darwin’s roll and she supported and championed her children’s pursuits with delight.

Ann was passionate about literature and a private poet, writing original verse and critiquing poetry through an academic lens. Her MA thesis was on the Poetry of Sylvia Plath and she was published in the Dalhousie Review, Winter 1973. She was a sharp, witty wordsmith – book titles, one-liners, jokes, and lyrics ever-present in her home.

She loved to dance, whether Polka’ing with Darwin, boot scootin’ with the Ktown Country Dancers on Club Dance in Knoxville, or tap dancing to Monty Python’s Always Look on the Bright Side of Life with her tap group. Her laugh and humour were infectious.

Ann combined her love of acting and advocating for women’s health as a Standardized Patient at Queen’s University playing roles for examinations – providing feedback to help train future doctors – and acting in educational films. She was also a board member when the Canadian Museum of Healthcare was established in 1995.

Thoughtful, perceptive and ever wanting to be part of the action, she cherished her many friends and fans from the Unitarian Universalist community and beyond. If we close our eyes we can still see her standing in the kitchen window – looking beyond the wise owl in the maple tree, watching the neighbours come and go and their children grow.

Ann is survived by her devoted husband of 62 years, Darwin; her children Kira (Alan), Krista, and Kori (Craig); her grandchildren Benjamin (Fatema), Stuart, Andrew and Olivia; her great grandson Laith; and her sister Jean (Mike).

A Celebration of Life will be held in Kingston in the spring. In lieu of flowers consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Society or another charity of your choice in her memory.

Waltz me round again darling
I will dance my whole lifetime with you
She said “never stop dancing too early
we’ll dance til the last note is through”

Ann K. Muir