Annabelle Ivanoff

Sep 22, 1942 -

Mar 12, 2025

Annabelle "Ann" Ivanoff left us peacefully on Mar. 12, 2025, at her home of 41 years in Anchorage with family by her side. She was 82.

Born on Sept. 22, 1942, in Unalakleet, Alaska, to Harold and Lillian Ivanoff, Ann grew up in traditional Inupiat culture and helped care for her younger siblings until she graduated from Covenant High School in 1961.

After attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Ann moved to Anchorage for a job with the Bureau of Land Management. Over 44 years at BLM, she started as a clerk typist, worked her way up to cartographic draftsman and retired as Chief of the Branch of Adjudication as a Land Law Examiner. She was a respected, hard-working woman with strong values and work ethic known for a stubborn quality to stand her ground.

Ann married Paul Johnson, had four beloved children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. The revered matriarch of a large extended family, Ann was the catalyst for family gatherings and a provider of a safe place for shelter for many. Her loss will be felt for many years to come.

Ann was a 4-foot-10-inch spitfire with a heart of gold. She was an avid quilter who loved sewing and knitting, spent countless hours playing cards with her sisters and friends, and enjoyed tuning into her favorite game shows. She could often be found breaking a leg in Las Vegas or at bingo, dancing to country and oldies, berry picking and dipnetting. She was an incredibly generous, loyal, strong-willed, fiery yet charming person that will be missed dearly by her family and friends.

Ann is survived by her children, Misha Ivanoff, Aron Johnson and Lillian Johnson; her grandchildren, Kyle Ivanoff, Bethany Randall, Evangeline and Vivienne Van Lith; her great-grandchildren, Bentley and Bailey Ivanoff; her sisters, Ruth Seymour, Betty Menard, Clara Ivanoff and Darlene Ivanoff. She is preceded in death by Paul Johnson; her oldest son, John Ivanoff; brothers, Harris Ivanoff, Harold "Sonny" Ivanoff and Kenneth "Larry' Ivanoff; and her parents, Harold and Lillian (Nashalook) Ivanoff.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, Mar. 28, 2025, at 1 p.m. at the Legacy Heritage Chapel at Angelus, followed by a celebration of life and potluck at Time Out Lounge.