Ann (Phillips) Keith

     Ann Phillips Keith, age 79 of the Jack Branch Community of Robbinsville, NC, went to her heavenly home on June 21st, 2023, surrounded by her loving family.

     In the uncertainties of life, she often quoted one of her favorite hymns: “I’m a winner either way, if I go or if I stay / For I’ll still have my Jesus each passing day.” Now, her long battle with illness is over, and she is at peace with her heavenly Father. Ann was a beloved mother, grandmother, member of Bear Creek Baptist Church for over 50 years, and friend to all who knew her. She accepted Jesus as her personal savior when she was a young woman at Grace Tabernacle church, and she set a Christian example for her family and everyone around her through her kindness and love for others.

     Ann was what the Bible calls a “cheerful giver,” and she had a peaceful and loving soul that made everyone around her feel welcome in her presence. An amazing cook, making sure others were fed was one of the ways she demonstrated love toward her family, the sick and grieving, and the children of the community. Ann retired from Graham County Schools as a cafeteria worker, where she had a smile and a kind word for everyone. Often, if students did not have snack money or lunch for a field trip, she took care of it herself because “she couldn’t stand to see anyone go hungry.” Some of Ann’s passions included her flowers, decorating, and Christmas - she also loved to shop, but usually her buggy would contain items for others rather than herself. Above all else, however, Ann’s family was her whole world.

     She was a native of Graham County, NC, and the daughter of Henry and Ethel Phillips. In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her mother-in-law, Hazel Keith, and her husband of fifty-eight years, Robert Allen Keith. She is survived by her daughter, Jacqueline Keith of Robbinsville, NC; her granddaughters and their husbands, Brittany and Billy Tincher and Courtney and Justin Waldroup; and the many friends and neighbors who loved her.

     A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, June 25, 2023, at 2:00 pm at Bear Creek Baptist Church: visitation from 1:00-2:00. Reverend Wayne McGuire will officiate. Ann will be buried next to her husband, Robert, in the West family cemetery.

     Townson-Smith Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Keith family. An online register is available at www.townson-smithfuneralhome.com.