Anne Marie’s huge spirit departed this plane in the early hours of Thursday, Feb. 15 in her home in Idyllwild, California, in the arms of her husband.

She was a Doctor of Chiropractic DC and a Naturopath ND, and was an early pioneer in the health and fitness movement in this country. She was the first activity/fitness director of the famous Golden Door Resort in Escondido, California, was well celebrated in Sports Illustrated, and was the inventor of the Body Ball and the V-Bar, which later came to be known as the ThighMaster.

She also started putting exercise and calisthenics to music, something she called Jump’in Jimminy, now called jazzercise, and both Raquel Welch and Jane Fonda were grateful to her and built on her original techniques.

She was the widow of WWII hero Robert Prescott, AVG “Flying Tiger” pilot, who later went on to found the Flying Tiger Air Cargo Line (now a part of FedEx), the Hungry Tiger Restaurant chain, and the Sanctuary Health Spa in Louisiana, all with her able assistance.

She was a regular on the Steve Allen and Merv Griffin shows, and was also Johnny’s guest on the Tonight Show.

She loved golf, probably could have been a professional had she made the time for it, and played often with the first Gov. Brown (California) and his wife, with Bob Hope and his buddies, and with her friend Arnold Palmer.

Please excuse the name-dropping. Actually, there are way too many names to count. She loved and was loved by the celebrated and the everyday ordinary, distinctions that she never gave any importance to nor took to be real.

In 1974, she co-founded with her dear friend Caterina, The Ashram, in the Santa Monica Mountains above Malibu, which continues to play host to anyone who wants a full week’s change-of-pace adventure that includes hiking, yoga, meditation, massage, and lots of group fun, all served up with a tasty vegetarian diet. Royalty, Hollywood celebs, professional athletes, Wall Street power brokers, and folks from all walks of life continue to benefit from the program that she created so many years ago.

She was a Bishop in the First Christians’ Essene Church in San Diego, and has married nearly 100 couples in that capacity. She believed that Luke 10:27 and Romans 8:28 were the secret to a healthy and successful life, and she lived her belief unabashedly.

She is the author of KAI, a short fable partly based on her experiences while living by herself for six months in the Guatemalan rainforest.

She has been sought-out by spiritual teachers, healers, trance-channels and psychics from all over the world, all of whom appreciated her outgoing and upbeat personality, her sense of humor, and her no-nonsense counsel.

She valued her longtime friendship with JZ Knight, was a much loved and integral part of the Ramtha community for many years, and he called her his “beloved old woman,” a term of endearment and a testimony to the love he had for her. You had to be there to understand this phenomena, and it’s ok if you don’t get it. “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” And isn’t that true for all of us?!

She treasured her time in Rainier, enjoyed wading in the Deschutes behind her home, tending her gardens, feeding the wildlife in the backyard, and entertaining her many friends. Her special dinnertime meal was Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes smothered in a rich brown gravy, and lingonberries. Eating just one helping was nigh impossible.

She also travelled several times to India and the Far East. On one visit to Kashmir, she was granted a very rare (for a woman) audience with the Lion of Kashmir, the esteemed leader of the country, whom she immediately chided for not allowing the girls in his kingdom to be educated, something that could have gotten her in big trouble in this strict Muslim principality.  On her next visit to the country a year later, she noted that all girls were now able to attend school. Add “lion tamer” to her already extensive resume.

Besides Rainier, she has lived in Taos, New Mexico, Encinitas, Malibu and in California’s Coachella Valley near Palm Springs, before moving permanently to Idyllwild in 2014.

She also played a soulful harmonica, with mostly spiritual songs comprising her repertoire, and she loved the bagpipes, especially when played to Amazing Grace.

Married over 20 years to her husband Ken, she has no surviving family members. A very small remembrance celebration is planned for her in Malibu sometime in March for her closest friends, per her wishes.

Needless to say, our loss is heaven’s gain. She was, is, and will always be, one for the Ages.