Anne Smith Walters

Anne Smith Walters after a brief illness died peacefully with family by her side on Nov 10, 2022. We offer much gratitude to her sole surviving sister, Carol DeRosier, who offered comfort, love and support whenever she needed it. Anne was born August 15, 1932, in Cartersville, VA, the seventh of eleven child of Lacy and Robert Smith. Their dairy farm was a place of love, laughter, and extraordinary food. She left the farm and moved to Richmond to attend MCV nursing school. After graduation, she enlisted into the Air Force and orders followed to Roswell, NM, where she met the love of her life and husband of 56 years, Walt, Ronald J Walters. They married in March 1957 and Brad came along 9 months later. The military then sent them to NH where Leslie joined the family. Something was pleading them to go West and they soon settled into Oregon where Dawn and Craig were added to the mix. The military sent them to OK, OH, NC, and DE, where Anne easily became an intricate part of the local hospital. Yet in 1976, they bought a restaurant/tavern and Anne gave up her stethoscope and became chief chef and mixologist. After many years, they sold their business and moved to TX where she once again showed that nursing is truly a calling. In 1988, they moved to Pensacola, FL, for a new chapter in their life. Anne and Walt subsequently retired to Juniper Lake in Defuniak Springs, where they lived for 20 years. All the grandkids and great grandkids, Lauren (Raegan, Zoe, Ethan), Brian and Trisha (Jonathan) from Brad and wife Dona; Megan, Cam and Kevin from Leslie and husband Goose; Laura from Dawn and husband Tom, and Craig's family of Seth, Holden and Lacy, loved visiting them; food and fun were always present. After Walt passed, Anne felt that Virginia was calling her home so she moved back to Richmond to be near her two sons and many siblings. She opened up her home to everyone and it became the place where the Smith family would gather, eat and listen to guitar playing. Anne had some setbacks to her health in her later years but always seemed to rise above it but she finally succumbed to once again be with her husband and many siblings. God Bless Her and we will miss her tenacity and adventurous spirit.