Dr. Ann Doherty Labelle

Ann Doherty LaBelle (Ann Louise Doherty) passed away peacefully, surrounded by her immediate family in Silver Spring, MD on July 16, 2023.

Ann was born on January 23, 1949 in Lowell, Massachusetts. Over her lifetime she excelled academically in the medical field, earning a B.S. in Nursing (D’Youville College, Buffalo, NY), M.S. Health Science (Southeastern Massachusetts University), M.S. Public Health (Harvard School of Public Health), and Doctorate of Dental Surgery (University of Maryland).

In 1973, Ann married Robert Peter LaBelle and while living in Massachusetts, served as Head Nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital for several years. They then moved to Baltimore, MD, where her daughter Katie was born. Ann then became Supervisor of the Nursery and Children's Departments at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Advancing to the Hospital Administrator’s Office, she served as the chief recruiter for all nurses at Hopkins.  

Ann then went on to Dental School in MD, obtaining her D.D.S. and teaching at the school after graduating, and practicing as a maxillofacial oral surgeon for a short time. She then began her
career in the Nation’s Capital area, first in research at Johns Hopkins with Dr. Susan Horn on the severity of illness index; then at the Pentagon as a civilian researcher on the CHAMPUS program. Moving on to the U.S. Federal Department of Health and Human Services, Ann worked with Dr. Otis Bowen, then Secretary of HHS. During her tenure at HHS, she was detailed to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and by early 1993 became the Chief Health Policy staff.  She went on to serve in the office of Senator Orrin Hatch on health care financing legislation and later in the office of Senator Tom Coburn as health care counsel. She also had extensive expertise in pharmaceutical development and worked at the American College of Emergency Physicians before retiring.

Ann was passionate about her work and her family and always brought people together. Her love of travel brought her family all over the world, including trips to Europe and Australia. She was a generous woman with her time and knowledge, who loved supporting friends and colleagues to achieve their professional aspirations. By far however, she was most passionate about her new grandson, Archer, who was born in February 2022.

Ann is survived by her husband, Robert Peter LaBelle of Newton, NH; her daughter Katherine “Katie” LaBelle Edwards of Takoma Park, MD; her grandson Archer William Edwards; and her two sisters, Ellen Claire Bettencourt of Newton, NH and Jean Marie Doherty-Greenberg of Rochester, MN. She is preceded in death by her parents, William G. Doherty and M. Claire (Chaput) Doherty of Nasuha, NH.

Visitation will be at Cunningham Turch Funeral Home in Alexandria, VA on Friday July 21, 2023 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and a Funeral Mass will take place Saturday, July 22, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.
at St. Peter’s Church on Capitol Hill. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Ann’s life at these events. Ann will be interned at Historic Congressional Cemetery with a private ceremony at a later date. Condolences can be sent to https://everloved.com/life-of/ann-labelle/. The family would like to thank all hospital staff, caregivers and doctors for their efforts and superior care for Ann over many years.