Ann Kidder Wing Lee

Look up the words ‘unconditional love’ on Google and you’ll find a picture of Ann Kidder Wing Lee, who passed away peacefully on June 29, 2025. Mother of three, grandmother of five, she invited all who came to her door into her family, providing food and shelter to any, and many, young adults who would have otherwise gone without. Later in life she became a guardian and caregiver for two of her grandchildren. No one was a stranger to her, she said hello to people in elevators, on the street and wherever she met someone walking by instilling positivity to all. She never let anyone who visited the house leave without a hug.

Ann was born in Rutland, VT on March 25, 1961, the seventh, and shortest, child of Leonard Fish and Mary Costello Wing. As she liked to say she was 4’12” tall. She didn’t let it slow her down. She was an outstanding young athlete and played both basketball and tennis at MSJ. She studied psychology at St Michaels in Winooski and later at Ft Lewis College after she moved to Durango, Colorado. While in Durango she married William Lee, and gave birth to Christine, Eric and Isaac. She worked for the Colorado State Social Services as an investigator (a straight up Fed) and supported her family while her husband pursued a degree in petroleum engineering.

When Bill graduated the family moved to Texas, and when he became Vice President of Warren Exploration they moved north to Casper, WY. There Ann relished her role as Director of Childhood Development and beyond, as full time Mom, school volunteer and lunch lady. When she and Bill purchased a couple of loaders and formed a heavy equipment rental business Ann became the CEO, COO and Treasurer. Later, she and Bill divorced and Ann found challenging and enjoyable work from her home office. She’d precede her work day with a Facebook post reminding her friends and fans the appropriate Holiday to be celebrated. It always began with “Today is National Wish (insert friend or relatives name) a happy birthday or anniversary or whatever, Day”. We all looked forward to our daily reminder.

Ann Kidder was a master gardener, continually challenged by the fierce Wyoming winds, and preferred flowers to a well manicured lawn. She lived on a bluff overlooking the Platte River, the open prairies and open skies of the fabled American West. Ducks, geese, eagles and seagulls flew over as she watched from her deck and every spring she eagerly awaited the pelicans' arrival on the River, a sure sign summer was on the way.

She was a die-hard Red Sox and Patriots fan, keeping her New England roots strong and instilling the Yankee spirit onto her children and grands. The Peanuts comic strip was a favorite as well as Sandra Boynton’s books and comics. She loved listening to music as loudly as possible, podcasts, news and watching Jeopardy and Law and Order SVU, a homage to her sister Joan (dun dun was her ringtone!). Ann was a detective. There wasn’t a puzzle she couldn’t solve, and she wouldn’t admit that anything anybody else couldn't find was lost, until She couldn’t find it.

When asked, “How are you”, she would reply, “I’m just right.” And she was. She always made sure to say to all she was with, “In case I forget to tell you, I had a really great time today.”

Ann was down for any chance she got to spend with her children and siblings. They spent many happy weekends at the lake, hunting camp, at a concert or traveling to visit relatives. A walking encyclopedia, she had a wonderful wit, and was a stickler for “proper” English (thank you Walter Moore).

She was predeceased by her parents, her sister Joan, her brother Leonard, her niece Evelyn and her nephews Baxter and Charlie and her sister-in-law, Meg, and brother-in-law, Doug. She is survived by her daughter Christine Kidder Lee Gossman (Frederick), her sons Eric Lee (Michelle) and Isaac Lee (Chloe), her step children Cassandra Hooper and Matthew Lee, her beloved dog, Molly, Molly, Molly, her brothers Christopher Wing, Timothy Wing (Sue), and John Wing (Aggie), and her sisters Mary Jane Wing Soares, Patricia Wing Bartenstein (Claus) and Katrina Wing Clark (Ed), her brother-in-law Alvin Figiel (Peg) and several treasured nieces, nephews and cousins.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 16, 2025 in Casper.

Ann Kidder was very well read, quoting lines from her favorite books, especially those she read to her children. One in particular stays with them still, and as we say goodbye, they want to share it with you. From Robert Munsch’s Love You Forever, “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living, My mommy you’ll be”.