Background
Fleming was born in Arlington, Virginia in 1965. She grew up in the Washington, District of Columbia
Fleming was born in Arlington, Virginia in 1965. She grew up in the Washington, District of Columbia
Area and graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1987 (Bachelor of Arts, Religion). Fleming studied at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky, and was an alumna of the 1987/1988 Apprentice Company.
She was the owner and executive producer at Cedar House Audio, an audio production company specializing in spoken word that is located in Seattle, Washington, United States. After a stint as a professional actor, she branched into audiobooks in the mid-1990s. Fleming recorded well over 200 titles, many under the stage name Anna Fields.
In a July 1, 2005, interview with the William & Mary Alumni Association, Fleming noted several of her favorite narration projects: Belorussian Canto by Ann Patchett, The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates, Baker Towers by Jennifer Haigh, and "any title" by Louise Erdrich.
In addition to her work on audiobooks, she also narrated the Military Channel"s six-episode series Navy Seals, which chronicled the six-month basic training process for United States Navy Seals in 2007. She also provided the voice of Princess Daisy in Mario Tennis.
Fleming died when a flash flood trapped her inside her Madison Valley basement studio during the Hanukkah Eve wind storm of 2006. At the hospital, Strong was denied access to see Fleming until permission was granted by an out-of-state relative.
The experience led Strong to advocate for legislation that was eventually passed as Washington"s Domestic Partnership Law.
After Fleming"s death, the City of Seattle commissioned a report to determine the cause of flash flooding in Fleming"s neighborhood. As of 2013, the house where Fleming died had been replaced by a garden, and the city has completed a stormwater project in the neighborhood. The project features a reservoir capable of holding excess storm runoff when the rest of the system is over capacity.
A memorial at the site is inscribed with words that Fleming would say before going on stage as an actress: "Be a light.
Be a flame. Be a beacon.".
