Ann Taylor Tansey

Ann Taylor Tansey, age 74, passed away at Country House in Greenville, DE on June 2, 2019 following a brief illness. Ann was born in Wilmington, DE in 1944.

Ann was a graduate of Brandywine High School (1962) and earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting from the University of Delaware (1970) and a Master of Science in Taxation from Widener University (1984). Despite being mathematically gifted and born into a family of engineers, Ann was discouraged from becoming a mathematics or engineering major as, she was told, those were not appropriate courses of study for women. She then switched her focus to accounting, eventually becoming one of the first, if not the first, female Certified Public Accountants in the state of Delaware. Having obtained her degrees, and with her innate drive and determination, Ann started many successful business ventures, most recently as a founding partner of Daniels & Tansey, LLP, one of the area’s first multidisciplinary financial ensemble firms. Ann found her work so interesting and rewarding that she could never quite believe that people paid her to do her job. Her dedication to client service was unparalleled and many continued to request her services after her retirement in 2013. Ann was a strong proponent of women’s rights, serving as the national treasurer for the National Organization for Women in the 1970’s and as the president of the local chapter of the Quota Club, an international businesswomen’s group. She was extensively involved in the business community as an active member of the Delaware Society of Certified Public Accountants, Brandywine-Naamans Rotary Club, Wilmington Tax Group, Wilmington Women in Business, and a founder of the Fund for Women. After moving to Country House in 2017, Ann quickly became involved in her new community, serving as Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Executive Committee.

Ann was pre-deceased by her parents, Bayard J. and Eloise Taylor. Ann is survived by her beloved husband of 40 years, William J. Tansey; her loving daughter, Deborah L. Miller and spouse, Adam G. Landis, and two grandchildren, Noah and Emma Landis, of Wilmington, DE; her step-daughter, Deborah Petrucci (Danny), and granddaughter Alison, of Wilmington, DE; her step-son, Michael Tansey, and grandchildren Aubrie and Liam of Newark, DE; her “baby brother” Wayne Taylor and his wife, Kay, of Newark, DE; and her first husband, Richard L. Miller of Havertown, PA.

Ann loved to travel and visited all 7 continents with her loving husband, Bill. She adored spending time at her home in Dewey Beach, watching sunsets over Rehoboth Bay, picking crabs and relaxing, whether at happy hour with friends or visiting with family. Ann had a wide circle of devoted friends with whom she enjoyed attending Jimmy Buffet concerts and vacationing or visiting in Naples, FL, the Outer Banks, N.C., and Mexico. Ann was modest, matter-of-fact, kind, honest, and generous. She enjoyed fine dining, gourmet cheese, inexpensive Sauvignon Blanc, Woody’s crab cakes, and most of all, a chocolate cake from Bing’s Bakery with decorator frosting and extra roses. Ann’s love for horses and horseback riding was renowned; she learned to ride as a child and renewed her passion in the 1980’s, riding her beloved horse, Babe, with her husband next to her on Aggot. Ann’s grandchildren were the light of her life and she rejoiced in all their accomplishments.

In lieu of flowers, you kindly are requested to make a donation to Planned Parenthood of Delaware or a charity of your choice.