Dear ISM Community and friends,
I write to share sad news that we’ve received from the Rector of St. Ann’s Parish in Old Lyme, CT; namely, that Anne Rowthorn died this morning at Yale New Haven Hospital.
Anne Rowthorn, Ph.D. and her husband Bishop Jeffery Rowthorn moved to New Haven in 1973 from New York City when Jeffery was appointed to the first faculty of the Institute of Sacred Music along with three other colleagues from the Union School of Sacred Music. Since then, Anne has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Institute, attending many of our events with Jeffery in the years following retirement which brought them back to their homestead in Connecticut after years living in Europe.
Anne’s doctoral dissertation was on the development of recreational therapy in the United States, but she spent a good deal of her life as an active environmentalist and author who published twelve books and numerous articles, editorials, and book reviews on topics related to ecology and spirituality among other subjects. Her most recent book was “God’s Good Earth: Praise and Prayer for Creation” (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2018) co-compiled and edited with her husband Jeffrey. She was a frequent speaker and clinician on this topic, working with parishes, schools, and other organizations alike. You can access an interview with Anne on the website of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut.
Anne’s presence in the Institute was indelible. She knew students by name, would meet their families, follow their careers, and stayed an active participant in the life of Yale for years after retirement. For my part, she was an unfailing support whose insights, along with those of her husband’s, were invaluable. Recent students will recall my introducing them at commencement banquets and at the ISM Colloquium at which they were frequent attendees. Jeffery was the one who recounted with a smile the first days of the ISM: “And God said, Let there be Colloquium.”
Anne is survived by her husband Jeffery, their three children, Virginia, Perry, and Chris, and their grandchildren and their families. We will share more information about Anne as well as details on any arrangements in the days to come. In the meantime, please join me in giving thanks for beloved Anne whose remarkable spirit, unflagging energy, and prophetic work for all creation will live on in our hearts and minds.
Yours sincerely,
Martin Jean
Director, Yale Institute of Sacred Music
Professor of Organ
Update, July 31: A memorial service for Anne will be held Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at 11:00 AM at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, 82 Shore Rd, Old Lyme, Connecticut 06371.
Photo: Anne and Jeffery Rowthorn at the dedication of ISM’s Miller Hall in 2019. (Tony Fiorini)
