Mary Anne Roberts Dawson, Co-Founder Tallahassee’s Annsworth Academy, Dies at 100

She lived a remarkable and adventurous life full of love, creativity, and purpose. A devoted educator, traveler, artist, and mother, she left a profound impact on generations of children, her community, and—above all—her beloved family.

Born on December 28, 1924, in London, Ohio, to Chester Pearl Roberts and Hilda Grace Loveless Roberts, Anne was the middle child of five in a family of successful farmers. Her early years during the Depression shaped her resilience and independence. During World War II, she worked as an accountant at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. Seeking more than rural life offered, she moved—against her father’s wishes—to Columbus, where she enrolled at The Ohio State University, studying art and education while supporting herself through multiple jobs.

In 1947, Anne married James E. Dawson, whose family had roots in Bexley and Middleport, Ohio. They raised three daughters—Anita, Janet, and Christine—first in South Bexley and then Pickerington, where Anne helped establish the first kindergarten classes in the local school system. Her passion for early childhood education would become her life’s work.

In 1968, after moving to the Gulf Coast of Florida, Anne founded Highland Park School, a private preschool she designed from the ground up. The school grew rapidly, eventually serving children through eighth grade and expanding into Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. In 1985, she and her daughter Chris co-founded Annsworth Academy in Tallahassee, where she remained a fixture in the educational community and a cherished figure to countless students and families.

A devoted mother and grandmother, Anne delighted in her family’s milestones—baseball games, school events, and summer camp traditions in Western North Carolina. She acquired a vacation home in Brevard, NC, turning it into a joyful gathering place for Thanksgiving and family adventures, from hiking to whitewater rafting.

Anne was never one to sit still. She went skydiving, flew in a small plane piloted by her grandson, Jason, and traveled extensively—to Europe with OSU alumni, to the Galápagos and Ecuador with her daughter, to Alaska and Scandinavia with other family members. Wherever she went, curiosity and joy followed.

She was rarely seen without a beloved small dog—Pixie, Penny, Molly, or Rosie—by her side. And though her accomplishments were many, Anne remained humble, once telling her daughter Anita, when asked about regrets, “No, no regrets.”

Mary Anne “Miss Anne” Dawson was preceded in death by her daughter, Janet Dawson. She will be lovingly remembered by her family: Anita Dawson and husband Steve Elbert, Caroline Elbert, Olivia Dawson, Chris Bertoch, Jason and Becca Bertoch, Amelia Bertoch, Jamie and Sara Bertoch, and Annabelle and Wilson Bertoch, as well as many dear friends and former students across Florida and Ohio.

Her life was a testament to strength, curiosity, and love—and to the power of one woman’s vision to shape and inspire countless young lives.

A graveside service for Anne will be held Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 3:00 PM at Roselawn Cemetery, 843 Piedmont Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32312. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Second Harvest of the Big Bend or Big Bend Hospice.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.