Ann Mary Karr Weller, 87, passed away peacefully at her home in Robinson, Texas, on October 12, 2026, after courageously living with dementia. She will be remembered as a loving wife, devoted mother, passionate surgical nurse, and the sort of person who never considered a Christmas stocking truly full until it was in danger of bursting.

Ann was born on January 4, 1939, at West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park, Illinois, to Katherine and John Melvin Karr. She grew up in Elmhurst with her older brothers, John and Bruce, and her younger brother, Jim. Ann attended her beloved York High School and often shared stories of her brothers' mischievous neighborhood adventures, as well as memories of her own childhood in the Chicago area.

Faith was an important part of Ann's life. She was raised at First Baptist Church in Elmhurst, where her relationship with Christ began. In high school, she participated in Christian groups that deepened her faith and gave her opportunities to express it through worship. Her trust in Christ shaped the way she saw the world and the kindness she brought to her nursing career.

One of her favorite memories was singing in a trio accompanied by Kurt Kaiser on piano at Moody Bible Institute's Moody Church in Chicago, a lovely reminder that Ann possessed many gifts.

After graduating from Cook County Hospital's School of Nursing, Ann became a registered nurse and moved to Texas to attend Baylor University. While studying at Baylor and working at Providence Hospital, she met her future husband, Leon Clair Weller, at Alliance Bible Church. They married in 1963.

After living in Austin and Longview for work and school, Ann and Leon welcomed two sons and a daughter. In 1972, they returned to the Waco area and made their home in Robinson, where they raised their three children. Ann was devoted to her family and their activities, attending PTA and Booster Club meetings and shuttling the kids to practices, games, and everything in between. She was, in other words, a family taxi service long before anyone could summon one with an app.

Ann loved nursing. While her children were in school, she often worked weekends in surgery at Hillcrest Hospital. Once her youngest child could drive, she returned to nursing full-time, working in surgery and taking great pride in caring for patients and supporting her colleagues. Each holiday season, she celebrated the people she worked alongside by creating a unique handmade Christmas ornament for every member of the surgery team, a tradition that surely made the tree a little more meaningful and decorating it a little more complicated.

After decades of caring for surgical patients, Ann retired from Hillcrest, or so the paperwork said. She never would have called it retirement. She continued sharing her nursing skills as a volunteer at Waco's Family Abuse Center, where supporting the women and children she met meant a great deal to her.

Ann was also gifted with many creative talents. She painted, crafted, knitted, made macramé, sewed, and prepared delicious meals, including, by family consensus, the best banana bread you've ever tasted and unrivaled cowboy cookies. At Christmas, she generously filled every family member's stocking until it overflowed. Ann loved the beach, nature, and animals, so there were always cats and dogs around the house. Her home was full of creativity, good food, and the occasional furry supervisor.

Ann was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, John and Bruce Karr.S

he is survived by her brother, Jim Karr, and his wife, Laurel, and their family; her husband of 63 years, Leon Clair Weller; her sons, David Weller and Daniel Weller; her daughter, Ruthie Weller; her grandson, Danny Weller Jr.; her granddaughter, Brooke Hodges, and her husband, Gage; and her great-grandchildren, Adelynn, Wrenly, and Parker Hodges.

The family will hold a private graveside service at Waco Memorial Cemetery on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Friends and family are invited to celebrate Ann's life on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. at Grace Gardens Funeral Home, 8220 Woodway Drive, Waco, Texas 76712.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites memorial donations in Ann's name to the Family Abuse Center of Waco or Friends for Life.