Anna Roan

Marie Annastia Roan

 December 11, 1942 – March 28, 2024

 Anna was born in 1942 to Stella Landry and Octave Theriot in New Iberia, LA, where she attended Mount Carmel all girl Catholic School K5-12.  Her parents wanted to call her Anastasia but somehow her birth certificate had “Annastia”.  She always went by Anna.  

 One of her childhood memories was that Anna hated going to the farm in New Iberia to pick peppers, because they made her hands burn.

 In January of 1961, she met the love of her life, Jerry Roan.  He had to beg her to marry him.  She thought he was a little fast for her.  Jerry was based at the Naval Air Station in New Iberia, LA, where they married that same year on November 26th. This year would have been their 63rd wedding anniversary. 

 From there, they moved to Dallas, TX, where Jerry eventually joined the Naval Reserve and was active duty while Anna was home raising their three children (Debbie Bland, Greg Roan, and Dana Trim). The military transferred them several times from Dallas, TX, to Norfolk, VA, to New Orleans, LA, and to Memphis, TN. Anna did an amazing job taking care of their 3 kids while many times Jerry was off serving our country. Eventually, they moved back to New Orleans where the kids went to high school. After 26 years of active duty, Jerry retired from the military, and they moved to Brandon, MS, in 1983. He took a job at the airport at Beech Aerospace, and Anna went to work at AB Dick Company. Eventually, she became the bookkeeper working with her daughter, Dana, and son-in-law, Ed, at Pennington & Trim Alarms from 1990 until her retirement in 2011.

 At the age of 81, Anna died peacefully in her home with her daughter, Dana, by her side as she took her last breath at 2:30 pm on March 28, 2024, from vascular Alzheimer’s.  Her husband, Jerry, took care of her until he had to have a quadruple bypass in January.  He did the surgery so he could get back home to continue caring for her, but due to several complications, he never made it back by her side but was only able to visit with her through FaceTime.  Their love for one another was very special.  They were inseparable and fiercely devoted to each other.  They truly loved one another for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health until death did they part.  Jerry dressed her, bathed her, cooked for her, washed her clothes and even polished her nails.  His devotion to her was simply beautiful.  His wishes while in the hospital and rehab/physical therapy was that she gets the best of care and not suffer, and that’s what the family strove for until she went to be with the Lord.  

 It’s truly fitting that she transitioned to Heaven during Holy Week and particularly on Maundy Thursday when Jesus had the Last Supper with his disciples and took the role of a servant by washing their feet.  Anna had a servant’s heart.  She had a deep love and reverence for God.  She was a praying woman.  She had her children in church every time the doors were open and trained them up in the way they should go.  Even if she went out of town, she’d look for a church service to attend.  As her health declined from the vascular Alzheimer’s and was struggling to walk, she said if we stick together as a family and keep our faith and trust in God, we’ll get through this.  She was gorgeous and extremely classy, but even more beautiful on the inside.  She was extremely kind and patient as well as a peacemaker.  She was meek and humble, and although she was petite in size, she was a very strong and mighty woman.  If you knew her, you loved her.  She was a devoted wife and a phenomenal mother.  She went camping and did square dancing with her family.  She was a Den Mother for her son, Greg, with Boy Scouts.  She helped her daughters with Girl Scouts and Brownie Troops.  She always made her children’s birthdays special.  She served in the lunch line at the school her kids attended.  In the summer, she brought her kids to the library to get books to read.  She enjoyed babysitting all the grandkids.  Her love of family was exceptional.  She treasured family time--holidays and special events/celebrations with her loved ones as well as taking trips with family members.  She was a fantastic cook.  Her lasagna and chocolate pie were the best.  She was an amazing seamstress who sewed clothes for herself and her family as well as a wedding dress for her daughter.  She loved to shop but equally enjoyed giving gifts to others.  She was most definitely a Proverbs 31 woman who will forever be honored and praised for a life lived so very well that brought glory to God.  

 Anna was preceded in death by her parents Octave & Stella Theriot, sisters Jean Crochet & Fabby Albert, brother Carol Theriot, granddaughter Nicole Trim, father-in-law Russell Bailey and mother-in-law Minnie Bailey.

 She is survived by her husband Jerry Roan, son Greg Roan, daughters Debbie Bland and Dana Trim, daughter-in-law Cheree’ Roan, son-in-law Ed Trim, six grandchildren (Trent Bland, Jarid Roan, Halee Roan, Rachel Roan, Josh Trim and Matthew Trim), seven great grandchildren (Caden Bland, Quinn Bland, Seth Roan, Whitten Trim, Olivia Trim, Hudson Frith and Everley Mabry), and brother Johnny Theriot.

 If you prefer donating in lieu of flowers, Anna’s favorite charity was St. Jude’s’s Children’s Research Hospital.