Annette Edwards Reiserer

Troy- Annette Edwards Reiserer died June 11, 2006 after a long illness. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland and was the daughter of the late David Alexander Edwards and Edna Jurgens Edwards of Troy, NY. She graduated from Shaker Heights High School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and from Goucher College with a B.A. in Fine Arts. After college, she worked for the May Company in Cleveland doing advertising sketches.

In 1968, after college, she attended the Munich Academy of Art. She was one of only four applicants accepted out of twenty-eight. When the academy closed because of student riots, Annette was employed by the United States Army. In 1970, she married Herbert Reiserer, now deceased, a German lawyer.

Annette worked for the U.S. Army in the University of Southern California graduate program. During this time she earned a Master of Arts degree in International Relations. She also worked in Oberammergau in the Advanced Weapons School. In 1981 Annette became an Intelligence Analyst at 7th Army headquarters in Heidelberg. She received numerous awards, particularly for her work during the Gulf War. Her area of expertise was terrorism; she was responsible for the identification of a top Al Quaeda suspect who was subsequently apprehended. She could speak German fluently and was learning Arabic.

When her husband died in 2001, Annette decided to come home after 35 years in Germany. She worked at the Pentagon in the Policy Section until she became ill. The last two years of her life were spent at the Eddy Memorial Geriatric Center where she received excellent and compassionate care. During the last month, she also received very good support from the Community Hospice of Rensselaer County. Annette s army friends and colleagues were concerned, caring, and very supportive of Annette during her illness. She received many letters, cards, flowers, and visits from former colleagues.

She is survived by her mother, her brother Andrew Edwards and his wife Cherrie (Bennett) of Troy, her sister Margaret Hunt and her husband Stephen of Denver, her sister-in-law Christine Reiserer and her husband Anton of Schonstett, Germany, four nieces, and four nephews.

There are no calling hours. A memorial will be held at the Eddy Memorial Geriatric Center, Barbara Simmons Chapel , Burdett Avenue in Troy on Saturday, June 17 at 1 P.M. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road, Baltimore MD, 21204.