Dr. Anne Hadley Behrend

Dr. Anne Hadley Behrend, 93, died Sunday, September 7, 2025. Born March 25, 1932, and raised in St. Louis Missouri, Dr. Behrend excelled as a student, finishing high school early. She enrolled in Sophie Newcomb College at Tulane University in New Orleans where she met the love of her life, Lt. Col. Weldon Arthur Behrend (USAF, Retired). They were married in 1952 and were together until Weldon's death in 2018.

Dr. Behrend continued her pursuit of education, obtaining both an undergraduate degree and a Masters in Library Science from Johnson State College in Johnson, Vermont. Her teaching career spanned more than two decades beginning at Craftsbury Academy in Vermont and continued in Asheville, NC, and in Charlottesville, VA, where she was named department chair of History at the prestigious St. Anne's – Belfield School. After relocating to Lynchburg, VA, she obtained her Doctor of Education degree at Liberty University in May of 2013 at the age of 81.

While education was important to Dr. Behrend, foremost was her love for family and her focus on her daughter Elizabeth and son William. Before pursuing her advanced education, Dr. Behrend raised her two children as a military wife, moving every three years or so. While in the Air Force, the family lived in Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Washington State, Colorado and Japan, finally settling in northern Vermont. Through all the relocations, she focused on ensuring that her children received the best education possible while encouraging curiosity to explore things of interest.

Dr. Behrend is preceded in death by her husband, Weldon (September 2018) and is survived by her daughter Elizabeth Giguere (Paul), her son William Behrend (Laura), seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, her sister Jane Perry of Columbia, SC and several nieces and nephews.

A private memorial service will be held September 27, 2025, at Windsor Run in Matthews, NC.