Anne P. Bickell

Anne P. Bickell, 81, died Monday, March 30, 2020. Anne was born November 13, 1938 in Birmingham, England shortly before World War II. At around the age of 3, Anne and her brother were part of the children's evacuation of Birmingham during the blitz, but returned home before the end of the war. Anne later attended University and became a trained nanny.

A huge fan of jazz music and a recent graduate, Anne headed to the USA September 22, 1960, and settled in New York. She worked for several families in the US before working for the Goldwater family (creators of Archie Comics) as a nanny. This afforded her many opportunities to befriend jazz greats like Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, and Cozy Cole, while attending shows at Harlem's Cotton Club. Later she left being a nanny, and started working for Stouffer's Top of the Sixes. She met her future husband, James Robert Bickell, and the couple moved to Boston, St. Louis, and Indianapolis, finally settling in Des Moines to open their own Burger Chef restaurants and later start Little John's Burgers.

Anne later became a top realtor starting with Stanbrough, and retiring while with Iowa Realty. She delighted in helping clients accomplish their dream of owning a home. Anne was generous with her time, energy, and heart. She was a fierce advocate of civil, human, and offenders' rights. She was a member of numerous boards and volunteer organizations, the English Club, and St. Steven's Lutheran Church. Anne was also a doting mother and grandmother, and had a passion for travel - visiting all 50 states and most of the continents.

She is survived by her sons, Alan (Tiffany) and Michael Bickell; and her grandson, Christopher Bickell. Anne was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, John; and her husband, Bob.

Memorials may be directed to the Iowa Department for the Blind, c/o Anne Bickell Memorial, 524 4th Street, Des Moines, IA 50309. Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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