Anne Jacobs Moultrie, a longtime resident of Highland Mills, passed away Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Middletown. She was 78 years old.
Anne was born on March 9, 1942, in Bayside. She graduated from Bayside High School and Queens College, earning an Associate’s Degree in nursing.
She worked as an RN at Booth Memorial Hospital in Flushing in the early 1960’s only to return decades later to organize the nurses as a vice president and organizer with 1199SEIU.
Anne and her husband Allan moved to Highland Mills in 1967 from Flushing, Queens, to raise their children Mindi, Denise, Robert and Randy in the country.
Anne was a reporter for The Photo News during the 1970’s. As a member of the Monroe-Woodbury PTA, she was instrumental in advocating for the addition of sea tbelts on school buses. Anne, along with her children, founded the Monroe-Woodbury Musketeers 4-H Club in 1976.
Anne returned to nursing in the 1980’s at Horton Hospital working the overnight shift in the Emergency Room and riding the ambulance with paramedics to emergency calls throughout Middletown and the surrounding communities.
While at Horton Hospital Anne orchestrated the decertification of the New York State Nurse Association (NYSNA) and brought the Horton nurses to 1199SEIU. Upon completion of the Horton contract in 1990, Anne joined 1199SEIU as a full time organizer.
Anne retired from Local 1199 SEIU after serving for 22 years as vice president and organizer in the League of Registered Nurses Division. She was instrumental in organizing or presiding over many hospitals in the Hudson Valley, Westchester, Queens and the Bronx, including Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown NY (formerly Horton Hospital), Bon Secours Hospital in Port Jervis formerly Mercy Hospital), Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh (formerly St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital), New York Presbyterian Queens in Flushing (formerly Booth Memorial Hospital), St. Barnabas Hospital, Montefiore Wakefield and numerous nursing homes throughout the region.
During her tenure at 1199SEIU she served as a member of both the Board of Trustees for the Registered Nurse Training and Job Security Fund and the Benefit Fund.
Anne dedicated her life to establishing protections for patient rights and fighting for fair and equitable pay and benefits for the nurses that she served. Her legacy will continue through the generations of nurses to come who will benefit from her passion, hard work and dedication. Nurses that she worked with and organized over the decades can enjoy their retirement years with a great pension and benefits thanks to her efforts and the hard work, teamwork and support of her fellow nurses. Anne loved her nurses and they loved her in return.
In addition to the hundreds of nurses who held a special place in her heart, Anne also had a close bond with her siblings, children, grandchildren and her husband John Moultrie, who predeceased her in 2019.
Anne is survived by her children Mindi Messmer (Jacobs) and her husband Michael of Rye Beach N.H., Denise Austin (Jacobs) of Highland Mills, Robert Jacobs and his wife Monica of Fresno California, and Randy Jacobs and his wife Kelly of Highland Mills. She was a loving grandmother to Justin Messmer, Keegan Messmer, Ryan Stevens, KerriAnn Stevens, Brandi Jacobs Maloney, Joshua Jacobs, Isabel Jacobs and Aidan Jacobs and her great grandson Robert Allan Jacobs. She is survived by her siblings Walter Beattie and his wife Alice, Margaret (Micki) LoBue and her husband Sal, and James Beattie and his wife Susan and numerous nieces and nephew.
She is predeceased by her parents Walter and Mary Catherine Beattie, sister Ida Mae Baab and nephew Gordon Baab.
Due to COVID concerns Anne’s family has chosen not to have a public service at this time. They ask that donations be made in Anne’s memory to support the healthcare workers of the Hudson Valley.
To share photos and stories of Anne please visit https://www.dewittfh.com/m/obituaries/Anne-Jacobs-2/Memories.