Born on Valentine’s Day in the tiny town of Hollytree, Alabama, Ann Caneer spent her early years on her grandfather’s farm that had been in the family since 1625. She and her two older brothers and their cousins hunted for arrowheads and other relics of the past, activities that would lead Ann to a life-long interest in history and historic preservation.
When Ann reached school age, the family moved to Huntsville, and Ann attended Huntsville High School where she enjoyed the spotlight as a popular student and a majorette. After graduation, she eventually met and married Florida resident Billy Joe Potts, and the couple moved to Daytona Beach. Ann and Billy Joe had a boat and often enjoyed visits to Ponce Inlet for camping, fishing, and fun.
Through her husband’s family connections, Ann and Billy Joe were invited by owners Louis and Louise Nippert to move into the Pacetti Hotel following the death of Marlay Kugler, the previous caretaker. A few years after this move, the couple divorced and Ann was appointed as the hotel’s sole resident caretaker. She immersed herself in the history of the hotel and of the neighboring light station which was suffering from neglect by the Coast Guard. Ann eventually led a group of concerned local residents in their attempts at caring for the lighthouse and even managed to convince the local police to drive past the site every evening to help stop ongoing vandalism.
Billy Joe Potts, Louise Nippert, and Ann, c1976
When the Coast Guard declared the light station to be excess property, the Ponce Inlet citizens petitioned the town to purchase it. The group formed the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association to manage the site, with a plan to preserve the historic buildings and create a museum. From 1970 until 1985, Ann worked as the site’s unpaid manager, and in 1985, she was appointed to the paid position of operational manager, a title that was soon changed to executive director. She held that position until her retirement at the end of 2007. In 1998, under her guidance, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station achieved National Historic Landmark status and has become a successful museum with a staff renowned for its work in lighthouse lens restoration. Ann was also one of the founders of the Florida Lighthouse Association, dedicated to the preservation of all the state’s lighthouses.
Ann Caneer was just as active in her efforts to maintain and preserve the Pacetti Hotel. She was entirely responsible for keeping the property in good order and for having it ready for whenever the Nipperts wanted to use it. As the majority owners of the Cincinnati Reds during the Big Red Machine years, Louis and Louise Nippert entertained the team and guests annually during baseball’s spring training, as well as regularly hosting other business and personal events at the hotel.
Ann dressed as a lady lighthouse keeper in a costume of her own design
Besides being the prime mover of historic preservation in Ponce Inlet, Ann had another passionate interest – automobile racing, especially NASCAR. She worked as a track official and was proud of her credentials. Ann’s favorite driver was Jimmy Means, and he and his team stayed as her guests at the Pacetti Hotel. The Nipperts knew not to visit their hotel during NASCAR events!
Ann Caneer died in 2012, the same year as her friend Louise Nippert. The Pacetti Hotel had been willed to the Nipperts’ Greenacres Foundation. Ann would be pleased to know that her beloved Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association was able to purchase the hotel in 2019, have it listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and preserve it for the future as a museum.
Ann Caneer’s gravesite featuring a replica of the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse
