Ann Elizabeth Eilert
August 2, 1940 - August 12, 2024

Ann Elizabeth Eilert (Peart) of Wilmington, NC, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Monday, August 12th, at the age of 84, after suffering for several years with vascular dementia. She was born on August 2nd, 1940 in Galesburg, Illinois to Elva Grace McKune and Ray Gordon Peart. She was preceded in death by her parents and two younger brothers, William Ray Peart and John Gordon Peart, whom she adored and helped to raise.  Ann spent her early school days living in Abingdon, Illinois where her father was an Agriculture teacher and her mom, a homemaker. The family then moved to RIchmond, Missouri where her father started farming and raising cattle, and her mother went back to college, and then worked as a Principal of an Elementary school.  Ann lived on the family farm outside of Richmond until graduating from Richmond High School in 1958.

     Ann attended Central Methodist University in Fayette Missouri, where she studied English. She graduated with a teaching degree in 1962, and took a job teaching middle school English in Monee, Illinois. She had met John Blake Eilert in one of her English classes in college, and they were married on June 30th,1963 at the Methodist Church in Richmond MO. They made their first home outside of Chicago where Ann taught school and John attended Medical School at Northwestern University. 

     Ann and John had two children, Matthew Blake Eilert, (05/23/1969) and Amy Elizabeth Eilert (Lyman 03/30/1971). Ann put her teaching on hold to raise her kids and loved being a mom. The family lived in Chicago, Illinois,  Anchorage, Alaska, and finally Los Alamos, New Mexico. The family enjoyed camping, skiing, and traveling to the farm in Missouri for family visits.. Once her kids started school in Los Alamos, Ann started working as an aid in the school district, and later took a full time teaching position in the English department at Los Alamos High School. In the early 1990’s, she applied for and received a scholarship to attend Middlebury’s Bread Loaf School of English Masters Program. She spent 5 summers studying in Vermont, Santa Fe, and Oxford, graduating with a Masters Degree in English. Shortly thereafter, she retired from teaching. 

     Ann was an avid cook and baker and loved making delicious things for her family and friends. She was an incredible hostess to many over the years. She loved to read, listen to music, and spent decades in many book clubs as well as hours reading to kids and grandkids. Once John retired, the couple moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, a place they fell in love with during a family trip to the beach. Ann continued in book clubs, volunteered at school programs, attended Grace United Methodist Church, hosted her family at wonderful week long beach trips, took up quilting, and loved walking on the beach. She hosted many visitors, overcame her fear of flying in order to travel, and spent as much time with family as she could. Her love as a mom was surpassed only by the love she showed as a Grandma to 10 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Ann will be remembered for her kindness, her loyal friendship, a love of people, and amazing chocolate chip cookies. 

     Ann is survived by her husband of 61 years, John, her children, Matthew Eilert (Hosana Gill) and Amy Lyman (Michael Lyman), 10 grandchildren,  4 great grandchildren, and 4 nieces. The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to Diane, Ann’s caregiver who allowed the family to keep Ann at home for a full year longer, and to Joanne, the nurse who visited and watched over Ann while she was in the nursing home. Heartfelt thanks also to Cape Fear Life Care Hospice for their beautiful care of Ann in the last weeks of her life. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Grace United Methodist Church for their Sunset Park Elementary School Mission. Donations can be mailed to Grace United Methodist Church 401 Grace St. Wilmington NC 28401 or venmo’d directly to @namylyman. Memorial Services will be held by the family at a later time.  

Coastal Cremations 6 Jacksonville St., Wilmington NC 28403

910.392.6032