Ann Alpern, a resident of Ann Arbor, Michigan, died on October 7th, 2026 at the age of 72. Funeral services arranged by The Dorfman Chapel.

Location of Service:

Beth Israel Congregation- 2000 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, (734) 665-9897

Date of Service:

Monday October 12th, 2026

Time of Service:

12:00 PM  

Broadcast of Service:

A live stream of the service will be broadcasted on Monday October 12th, 2026 at 12:00 PM. Please check back at that time.

Interment at:

Washtenong Memorial Park, 3771 Whitmore Lake Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Officiant:

Rabbi Nadav Caine  

Shiva Information:

The family will be sitting on Monday, from 4:00PM until 5:00PM at the residence: 311 Windycrest Dr. Ann Arbor MI 48105  
See our shiva mapping options

Charitable contributions:

Jewish Family Service of Washtenaw County
2245 S. State St
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
P: 734.769.0209
Click Here

or to the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County
312 W Huron St
Ann Arbor, 48103
Front Desk: 734.662.2829
Click Here

or to SafeHouse Center
4100 Clark Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Phone: (734) 973-0242
Click Here
 

Family Members:

Ann Alpern died at home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on October 7, 2026, of pancreatic cancer.

Ann was born on April 16, 1954, in Hillsboro, Oregon, to Dr. Mathew Alpern and Mrs. Rebecca Elsner Alpern. In 1956, their family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she resided for most of her life. She graduated from Huron High School in 1972, Stanford University in 1975, and the University of Michigan Medical School in 1980. She completed a Pathology residency at the University of Pittsburgh and a fellowship at Stanford University.

She joined the IHA Pathology Group in 1986 and worked there until her retirement in 2018. She was the head of the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital's Blood Bank from 2004 to 2018, and she also served on the board of the Ann Arbor American Red Cross. Ann took great pride and joy in her professional career, and it showed in the care she brought to her work with patients, lab staff, and physicians.

Ann met her future husband, John E. Laird, at Tappan Junior High School; they became close friends during their years on the Huron High School debate team. They married in 1982, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ann and John enjoyed raising their three daughters, going on biking and hiking vacations, spending time in northern Michigan, and getting together with friends and family. Her four grandchildren, in particular, were a source of great joy.

Beyond work and family, she had many hobbies. She was an avid quilter and loved reading. She enjoyed being outside and was a casual birder. She and John were members of Ann Arbor Ballroom. She was also in book, knitting, and movie clubs, as well as a meditation group. She was a lifetime member of Beth Israel Congregation, where she celebrated her adult bat mitzvah.

Ann will be remembered for a great many things: her passion for progressive politics, her valued service to the community, her beautiful quilts, and her self-deprecating humor, which was the highlight of her universally acclaimed annual holiday letters.

She is preceded in death by her parents and her older brother, Bowen Alpern. She is survived by her husband, John E. Laird; her siblings, Barbara Alpern and Aaron Alpern; her children, Emily Laird Bilek (Eli Bilek), Jessica Alpern Laird (Philip Shiu), and Valerie Alpern Laird; and four beloved grandchildren, Benjamin Laird Bilek, Julie Alpern Bilek, Hazel Shiu Laird, and Violet Laird Shiu.  

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