Anne D. Bendann, interior designer

Anne D. Bendann, a retired interior designer and community volunteer who was active in women's issues and church affairs, died Jan. 4 from pancreatic cancer at her Homeland residence. She was 65.

The former Anne Duffy, the daughter of an investment banker and a homemaker, was born and raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

After graduating in 1965 from the Beaumont School in Cleveland, she earned a degree from Marymount College in Arlington, Va., where she studied art and design.

Ms. Bendann, who worked for more than three decades as an interior designer, began her career at Darr-Luck Associates in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood.

She later worked in Baltimore for Michael Asner & Associates and Innerspace, and from 1983 until retiring in 1997, she was with Swann Hall Associates.

"Anne was just tremendously talented and had a way with color and patterns," said Michael R. Hall, a principal in Swann Hall Associates. "It just came naturally to her, and she could generate many good ideas. She had a great personality and was a joy to be around. I've missed her every day since she retired."

"After she retired from her professional career, Anne found time to dedicate her energies to her community and her own personal growth. The past 13 years were transforming on both fronts," said her husband of 38 years, Lance Bendann, who owns Bendann Art Galleries in Lutherville.

Ms. Bendann was a strong advocate for women's issues.

"She wasn't a big committee person or fundraiser; she preferred hands-on work, getting down and involved quite literally on the street level," her husband said.

Ms. Bendann volunteered at the Safe House of Hope in Southwest Baltimore, where she supported women "who were caught in various cycles of poverty, addiction and prostitution," her husband said.

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Anne D. Bendann, interior designer