Ann L. Royce, 86, of Jaffrey, died with her daughter by her side at Jaffrey Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on July 9, 2026, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer.

Ann was born on April 11, 1940, the younger daughter of the Charles J. and Hattie F. (Record) Letourneau. Ann was a lifelong resident of Jaffrey, growing up on North Street, attending Jaffrey Elementary and Middle Schools and Our Lady of Monadnock Academy. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, in 1961. On August 26, 1961, Ann married H. Charles Royce, Jr.

Ann and Charlie made their first home at the ranger cabin at Monadnock State Park, where Charlie was park manager. After Charlie’s retirement from the State Park system in 1972, Ann and Charlie purchased the Kingman Farm on Bryant Road; together with family they spent many hours restoring the old buildings to Ann’s vision of New England colonial charm. Ann’s ultimate designs however, were the passive solar home and expansive gardens she and Charlie built, starting in 1984, at the foot of Mount Monadnock on Mountain Road. They delighted in sharing the pastoral view of the relict, cow-pruned apple trees leading up the slopes to the summit of Monadnock with passing motorists and artists; for many years they lit a lone Christmas tree in the pasture.

Mrs. Royce, as she was known by her students, taught 7th grade at St. Patrick School in Jaffrey from 1970 to 1980 and served as principal during her last year there. Mrs. Royce then taught 5th grade at Rindge Memorial School for 17 years. She was a gifted teacher of literature, grammar, and art, inspiring several of her students to become teachers, writers and artists in their own right. She sowed the seeds of knowledge, confidence and character and impacted the lives of hundreds of students in Jaffrey and Rindge.

Ann appreciated the beauty and grandeur of Mount Monadnock and knew how fortunate she was to live in the serenity of the highlands and surrounding foothills. She was an early supporter and advocate for Mount Monadnock: Ann contributed her watercolor painting to grace the cover of the 1968 edition of The Annals of the Grand Monadnock and she authored an article in SPNHF Forest Notes in Summer 1970, “MONADNOCK Past and Present.” Ann was appointed by the Town of Jaffrey as a representative on the State’s Monadnock Advisory Commission and served for 25 years. Ann and Charlie together were a formidable force for the protection and preservation of the mountain, placing conservation easements on lands, leading significant efforts to establish the regional Mountain Zone, marshalling the Citizens for the Protection of Mount Monadnock, and encouraging and enlisting others to step up and take action whenever possible. Ann continued those efforts on her own after Charlie’s death in 2014, never taking for granted the importance and significance of this Grand Monadnock.

Ann was an inspired and dedicated gardener. She became a New Hampshire Master Gardener and grew and shared her gardening knowledge and enthusiasm with others. She volunteered at the Maplewood Demonstration Gardens at the Cheshire County Farm in Westmoreland for many years. She was a long-standing member and former president of the Monadnock Garden Club. Ann was most content working her way around her mountain view gardens in the early morning before the sun became too hot or too high. With over 40 years of her attention to detail, artist’s eye for color and form, and a master gardener’s knowledge and application of sound horticultural practices and promoting soil health, Ann’s gardens will continue to be a beautiful and thriving legacy for many years to come.

Ann loved to travel and embarked on many adventures with Charlie in their camper, making their way across the United States and Canada to Alaska. She jumped at the opportunity to tour gardens with like-minded friends and family. Perhaps most poignant was being stranded in the Cotswolds for several weeks after the terrorist attacks of 9/11; she and her comrades stayed on and continued to explore and tour the English countryside gardens, with local villagers leaving baskets of fresh vegetables, bread and wine on their doorstep. Despite the excitement and splendor of traveling abroad, Ann always anticipated the return to her mountain home.

Ann enjoyed playing tennis in her younger years and bridge in her later, the common thread being the friendships she forged and cultivated along the way. She treasured new and lifelong friendships and the connection and contribution to her community was essential. She was a member of the Jaffrey Center Village Improvement Society, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and the Gilmore Pond Association.

Ann was preceded in death by her husband Charlie Royce, her parents Charlie and Hattie Letourneau, and her sister Jean Hampsey. Ann is survived by her daughter Jennifer Royce and son-in-law Scott Perry; brother-in-law Bernie Hampsey; sister-in-law Betty Royce; numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

Family and friends are invited to a graveside service on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 2:00PM at the Royce family plot in the Old Burying Ground behind the Meetinghouse in Jaffrey Center. A reception will follow immediately after in the Parish House at First Church in Jaffrey, 14 Laban Ainsworth Way.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301 or to the Monadnock Garden Club, PO Box 104, Jaffrey, NH 03452.