Annie Ruth Crittenden, of Silver Spring, MD, passed away on Saturday, August 23, 2025 at Suburban Hospital from a heart malady.
Annie Ruth Coleman was born in Shreveport, LA the second oldest of 5 sisters and 2 brothers. Her parents were Audrey and John Henry Coleman. She came of age in Inkster, MI, her family a member of the Great Migration. She married on March 12, 1965 in San Francisco, CA to Raymond Edward Crittenden, from Ozark, AL. She received a B.S. in Speech Therapy from the University of Michigan, was awareded the prestigious Avery Hopwood Award for excellence in creative writing,and joined the Alpha Chapter of AKA at U of M. Annie also earned a M.S. in Speech Therapy from George Washington University. Annie was the Founder of the Black Writers Workshop in Washington, DC, an incubator for DC Writers like Sharon Bell Mathis, John Steptoe, Eloise Greenfield others. An adventurer, she would travel to Brazilia, Brazil, Guinea Bissau, Dakar, Senegal, Paris, France and London England, the Bahamas and domestically. Annie retired from the DC Public Schools System after 30+ years of teaching as a Speech Therapist.

She is survived by her two beloved children, Elizabeth A. Crittenden(59) and David G. Crittenden(58); 2 grandchildren Abigail and Laylah Crittenden; sisters Audrey Coleman and Barbara Felton.

Her body will be laid to rest in Plymouth, MI with her other family members.