Ana Bird ’86

Ana died April 13, 2010, of complications from leukemia.

She graduated from Academia San Jose High School in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she was student council president and valedictorian.

At Princeton, Ana majored in history and Latin American studies, danced with Expressions, and was a member of Princeton Inn College and of Elm Club.

After graduating, she earned a law degree from NYU Law School and moved to Guatemala, where she founded two successful companies and several social-change organizations, including Amigos De La Escuela, which supported literacy for children in rural areas.

Press reports of her death praised her silent humility, her courage in facing many challenges, and her ability to transform herself and others.

Ana will be remembered for her dazzling smile. She was a beautiful, intelligent, charismatic woman who always had energy. Friends in our class mourned her passing, but spontaneously celebrated her life with e-mail anecdotes of how she inspired so many, of her joie de vivre, and her enthusiasm. As one classmate said, “She was the kind of person who illuminated the space around her with her joy and smile. To know someone like that has passed away is to feel the world has darkened just a bit.”

Ana is survived by her loving husband, Andres Botrán; son José; daughter Mariana; and her parents, Dickie and Mariadel. The class extends condolences to her family.