Anna Lee West

Anna Lee West - age 88, passed away on January 7, 2026.
Anna, a child of the Great Depression, lived a life defined by hard work, beauty, humor, and fierce love for her family. Raised alongside her identical twin Chris, and her parents, Liz and Lee-her namesake-she was the youngest of twelve on a tobacco farm in Claiborne County. She grew up strong, resourceful, and determined-traits that never left her. She often said farm life was magical for a child and exhausting for a teenager, and she was more than ready to trade angry goats and corn bins for indoor plumbing when they moved to Knoxville at age twelve.
A natural charmer with a mischievous smile, Anna Lee knew how to have fun while working harder than anyone around her. She spent thirty years with the Kroger Corporation, earning the admiration of coworkers for her tireless work ethic and generosity. As a child of the Depression, she saved carefully, gave freely, and had little patience for laziness or pretense.
She met the love of her life, Billy Ray West, in a local mercantile and famously declared, "I've met the man I want to marry"-she was right. Their marriage was joyful and adventurous, filled with family, travel, and summers at the beach. Together they raised four children-Cindy, Donna, Robin, and Brad-and built not only homes and businesses, but a family grounded in love and laughter.
Anna Lee was known for her beauty and impeccable sense of style. Silver, gray, and black became her trademark colors after breast cancer robbed her of her black hair, and she never looked back. A legendary culinary queen, Thursday nights were family dinner nights, and her specialties included homemade chocolate and coconut pies, chicken and dumplings, and her famous pineapple cake, which was her way of saying "I love you." Food was her language, and no one ever left her table hungry.
A devoted member of John Sevier Baptist Church, she lived her faith through service, generosity, and quiet devotion rather than show.
After Billy Ray's passing, Anna Lee found companionship and deep affection with Frank Grisham, a WWII veteran, with whom she shared more than twenty years of love and friendship. The way Frank beamed with joy when she drove over each day to visit made her day.
Above all, Anna Lee was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother ("GG"). Her hugs were not optional, her love unmistakable, and her presence unforgettable.
She will be deeply missed and forever cherished by her children, Cindy, Donna, Robin, and Brad; grandchildren, Kristin (fiancé Thomas), Shawn, Leah (husband Cam); great-grandchildren, Kadince and Aminata; and devoted friend, Frank Grisham and his grandchildren, Cody, Kayla, Natasha, and Roger.
The family will receive friends on Monday, January 12, 2026 from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM at Bridges Funeral Home. A Funeral Service will follow at 7:00 PM, with Dr. David Harkins officiating. Family and friends will meet at 10:45 AM on Tuesday at Eastview Memorial Gardens for an 11:00 AM Graveside Service, with Pastor Greg Jones officiating.
Arrangements by Bridges Funeral Home, 5430 Rutledge Pike, Knoxville, TN 37924. www.bridgesfuneralhome.com To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Anna, please visit our floral store.