One Woman Can Make a Difference! Tribute to Ann Crossley Author of The Army Wife Handbook, The Air Force Wife Handbook, and The Army Spouse Handbook

Ann Crossley, esteemed mentor of Army spouses for the past three decades, passed away on August 11, 2024.

Born George Ann Cook in 1939, she is survived by her husband R.W. “Bill” Crossley, daughter Georgia Crossley Dunagan, two grandchildren, their spouses, and two great-grandchildren.

Growing up as an Army brat and student in Army dependent schools in Japan, France, and Germany, Ann graduated from Kaiserslautern American High School in 1957.

Her impact at K-Town High was profound: dorm president, prom queen, and valedictorian. 

While attending University of Georgia, Ann briefly paused her studies to marry Second Lieutenant Bill Crossley in June 1960, and start her journey as an Army spouse at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Resuming her education at UGA a year later, she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and completed her BS degree as a member of Phi Upsilon Omicron honor society. 

From the early stages as an Army spouse, Ann was acknowledged as a natural leader: Hollywood-pretty, Army-savvy, compassionate, and charismatic!

Arriving in Germany in 1964, Ann was promptly elected President of the Wives Club, a remarkable testimony to her leadership qualities as a lieutenant’s wife. 

The subsequent year, while accompanying Bill on an exchange tour with the British Army, Ann embraced the role of a Royal Artillery Troop commander’s wife, immersing herself in British regimental life, including the formalities of dining-in and dining-out.

Similar to many other Army wives, Ann endured Bill’s combat tours in Vietnam. 

Witnessing the anguish of other spouses who lost their husbands in combat, she provided compassionate solace, maintaining connections with these resilient women to this day.

Upon learning she was to assume the role of the first lady of a Pershing missile battalion in Germany, Ann secured an invitation to the State Department’s protocol training program for diplomats. 

This training provided a framework to the social graces Ann already possessed and earned her the sobriquet “Hostess with the Mostest” during subsequent roles as the first lady at brigade and flag rank!

At Fort Polk in the early 1980s, Ann wrote a column on “Protocol and Sociability” for the post newspaper. “Ask Ann” helped revive the post’s social life to an Old Army standard. 

She also designed a distinctive unit crest for the Division Artillery, which she featured on note cards and as dining table place markers: crossed gold cannon with a small red diamond centered on the cannons. 

This artistic concept swiftly spread throughout the division and soon appeared in units across the Army!

Following Bill’s retirement in 1988, Ann and Bill resided in Munich, Germany for a year, during which Ann penned her initial draft of The Army Wife Handbook in longhand before mastering the computer.

“I wrote it because throughout my husband’s career, I needed such guidance, and in its absence, I took it upon myself to create it.” 

Returning to the U.S., Ann published the first edition, with the foreword penned by her close friend Alma Powell. 

As the book gained traction, Ann received numerous invitations to speak at Spouses’ club meetings throughout the Army. 

Subsequently, she collaborated with co-author Carol Keller on The Air Force Wife Handbook and the second edition of The Army Wife Handbook. 

Ann’s books commonly referred to as “The Green Book” surpassed 70,000 copies in sales!

In later years, after being approached numerous times to update her book, Ann acquiesced when Ginger Perkins, as co-author, assembled a group of twenty highly experienced and talented Army Spouses who contributed the updated material that transformed The Army Spouse Handbook (TASH) into the definitive reference it is today! 

Ann was so proud of the work the TASH team and the blog team did for Army Spouses.

Ann Crossley was an Army legend, a proud Army Daughter, Army Spouse, and Mother, whom we were blessed to call mentor and friend! Ann, you are dearly missed by many.

We were grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you writing TASH and our Mission: Milspouse blogs! 

With love and hooah hugs, 

– Ginger Perkins, Bill Crossley, Michelle Hodge and Lynda Smith

Editor’s Note: It was our honor to publish this beautiful memoir of an iconic trailblazer. Thank you Ann….. for paving the way for all of us.