Ann Elizabeth Thorpe Bench Morris, 58, passed away on January 21, 2016 in Port Carbon, Pennsylvania after a lengthy illness. She was born in Columbus, Nebraska in August 1957.

Ann, or Liz as many called her, graduated from SMSU with a Bachelor's Degree in Art. She married Scott Bench, and together they owned and operated Benchmark Printing. There, she used her talents to make their business successful and became a highly regarded graphic designer. After Scott's death in 1987, she sold Benchmark and reconnected with Christopher Morris, a childhood friend.

She married Christopher and they relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado. They traveled the world together and one of their passions was tandem bicycling. As an artist, she had many interests, including creating and selling her own jewelry designs. Also an accomplished seamstress, she became well-known for her whimsical aprons and dining co-ordinates. Although she had no children of her own, she enjoyed making caps for sick children at the Ronald McDonald House, where she volunteered. She was even honored once as volunteer of the year because of the number of hours she spent there.

After her divorce, she started over in the tiny town of Port Carbon, Pennsylvania, whose residents knew her as Lily, a nearly 6 foot beauty with a constant canine companion. She loved animals and her service dog, Roxy, was at her side until the very end.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Harry Jefferies and Betty Sue McDonald Thorpe; her sister, Betty Margaret Thorpe; and her first husband, Scott Alan Bench.

She is survived by her sister, Christie Kim Thorpe of Springfield, Missouri and Darly Kit Doyle (husband Dennis) of Hanover Park, Illinois; nieces Cassandra Brie Polhemus, Danielle Marie Komenda, and Amber Dawn Doyle; and nephew Connor James Kennedy.

Funeral services will be held at 1 pm on Thursday, February 4, at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, with burial to follow in White Chapel Memorial Gardens.