Anne Boterweg

Anne liked to joke that she was “a jack of all trades and master of none,” whenever she embarked on another artistic endeavor. This inevitably caused her friends and family to just smile and chuckle—because they knew that whatever she created would be remarkable. They also knew she was indeed a master of her trade: music education. A gifted, classically trained vocalist and pianist, Anne began performing in high school. After graduating in 1954 from Perry High School in Georgia, she earned her bachelor’s degree in music education from Wesleyan College in Macon. Anne continued to sing and play for hundreds of audiences during her career as a music and theater arts educator. She was passionate about the power of music and drama to inspire students to pursue their own talents, and follow their dreams. Beyond music, her keen interest in fashion design and love of sewing was another common thread in her creative life. Whether she was designing matching outfits for her young children, or elaborate costumes for school and community theater productions, she always had a project at hand. Anne was especially enthusiastic about staging productions that engaged youth, whether it was organizing a Teen Club in the ‘60s, or one of the numerous musicals and plays during her tenure as a teacher in the Corvallis School District. In addition to her work in the schools, Anne was active for many years in the local theater community. Although she never forgot her Southern roots, Anne loved the Pacific Northwest and moved to Corvallis some 35 years ago. She adored the Oregon Coast for its spectacular beauty. Born to Leita and Conrad Boterweg, Jr., of Perry, Georgia, Anne is survived by: daughters Denise Smith and Lisa Crow of Portland; her brother and sister-in-law, Colonel Conrad Boterweg, III and Patricia Boterweg; niece Catherine Thomas, all of Mineral Bluff, Georgia; grandsons Mason and Branden Crow of Portland; and former husband Paul Smith of Annapolis, Maryland. A remembrance celebration will be held at the Corvallis Arts Center at 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 20th. Gifts to honor Anne’s memory may be made to the Drama Fund of the Corvallis Public Schools Foundation.

Tributes

Anne Boterweg

March 28, 1937 - January 22, 2011