Ann OBrien Perkins-Parrott

Ann O'Brien Perkins-Parrott died on March 10, 2026, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at Presbyterian Hospital, surrounded by her loving family. Born on December 11, 1950, in Beaumont, Texas, to Barbara (Miller) O'Brien and Chilton O'Brien, Ann grew up in Beaumont and attended All Saints School, Stephen F. Austin Junior High School, and Beaumont High School. She earned a BA in journalism from Colorado State University in Fort Collins. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husbands, Steve Perkins and Patrick Parrott.

After moving to Durango, Colorado, with her first husband, Steve Perkins, Ann owned and operated several businesses, including the independent bookstore known as the Bookcase. An inspired writer and activist, she also founded an online newspaper for the Durango area, the Durango Weekly. She was a devoted mother to seven biological children as well as hundreds of others whom she supported and loved as her own. Ann touched countless lives through her warmth, grace, and boundless capacity for love.

She is survived by her sister, Ellen O'Brien (Duane Bowker) of Columbus, North Carolina, along with her children, dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and many beloved cousins across the United States. She also leaves behind the dear families of her late, cherished friends Jewelene Green and Evelyn McCurley. Plans for a burial and celebration of life in Durango, Colorado, are pending.