I was in Rome with a large group of viewers from my website when I got the call from home that ‘Miss Ninny’, Ann Tobin Rowland, had passed on. Tears followed, but in that moment I felt closer to her than I had in years. Miss Ninny was a devout Catholic – she loved her faith and her God. It somehow seemed right that we were honoring her memory in Rome. She was finally at home with so many other saints who I imagine were there with open arms when she arrived…St. Peter might have even stopped by the gates to see Ninny’s grand entrance.
Ninny was a force to be reckoned with. She insisted on style and grace and above all respect…respect for one another. Her etiquette classes for children are legendary. My son adored her classes, and he loved Ninny. She loved him back just as she did so many of the children she nurtured all those years.
I’ll never forget the time we decided to surprise Ninny for her 75th birthday on the Living show with a giant cake with, yes, 75 candles. When our producer lit the cake off stage it literally went up like a ball of fire nearly igniting the insulation on our set walls. We all about had a heart attack, but as Ninny would say ‘the show must go on’…and it did. It was a wonderful birthday celebration, and somewhere at home I have a grand picture of Miss Ninny with the Red Elvis’s ( a bizarre rock group from Russia) who also serenaded her that morning.
I often caught heat from my TV bosses for Miss Ninny because she didn’t mince words. She said what she thought. Her generation wasn’t as encumbered with ‘political correctness’ as ours. I loved her frankness, her honesty, her spirit! She had a heart of gold and not a mean bone in her body. The 5 years we worked together were fabulous. She kept all of us on our toes, and we loved it. She was one of our most popular guests EVER.
I could spend pages here telling you about her generosity. She regularly volunteered to serve seniors meals at her church; many of the Sisters in town will also have stories of her generosity and giving spirit as will some priests. She was a fabulous cook She loved San Antonio, her Canary Island roots…I could go on and on.
The last time I saw Miss Ninny, earlier this year, she was living with the Sisters at Incarnate Word. She was slowing down, her memory a bit faded but the spark in her eyes was still there. We were drinking tea and eating a pastry when she let out a ‘it’s so good it’ll make you wanna slap your grandma!’—one of her favorite lines—we all burst out laughing.
Miss Ninny, you’re a gem…one of a kind and I thank God for the gift of knowing you in this lifetime. I look forward to when we meet again!
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