Anne Walton Sherrill

Anne Walton Sherrill

Anne died peacefully in her sleep on November 11, 2025, at the age of 99 years old just missingher goal of age 100 by a few weeks..

Anne is survived by her three children. Patricia (Peach) Abbott-Douglass (Marion, deceased (10-13-23), Pamela Foreman (Ashley), and Thomas (Thom) Edward Abbott, III (Chris), ten grandchildren, seventeen grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

Anne was predeceased by her parents Willie (Willa) Alise Cutchens and Henry WoodsonWalton; her beloved step-father Joseph Edward (JE) Orschel; her sister Mary HarrisonWalton Gilbert and Anne’s husband of 51 years, Thomas Sherrill.

Anne was born in Richmond, Virgina, on December 8, 1925, to Willie Alise Cutchins Walton andHarry Woodson Walton. She was their second daughter. While still very young, her father, whowas a real estate developer, moved the family to Texas. This was very bad financial timing dueto the onset of the Great Depression. They returned to Virginia, but her parents' marriage didnot endure. 

Once back, Anne and her sister, Mary were shuffled from one family member to another, and sometimes even left in boarding houses to fend for themselves. During one stay with their Aunt Florence Walton Dighton, in Florida, Anne at the age of 13, learned how to play tennis and bridge, both became lifelong hobbies. She played tennis frequently until her late 70’s when she became physically unable to play. She loved Bridge and spent many an hour with her good friends at the card table. She continued to play into her late 90’s. Anne loved all kinds of games, especially card games and backgammon, being proficient in all. One of our family jokes was to ask her, "Do you want to play ..." and before the sentence was even finished, she would answer yes. In fact, she met her 2nd husband, TLS while bowling.

When Anne was still a teenager, her mother married JE Orschel and for the 1st time since she was a young child, Anne lived in a stable two parent home. After high school in Midlothian,Virginia, she enrolled at the University of Georgia. In 1953, she moved to Aiken to work forDupont.

Anne always loved Real Estate. She was flipping houses before “flip” was used as a word in real estate. Anne flipped her first house when she was still a teenager. She acquired her Realtors License as a young mother and later became a Broker. She stayed active in real estate into her late 90’s. She had a talent for designing homes and from plans she drew, built several houses herself. While building, she found she needed a Contractors License, so, after once reading the code manual, she passed the exam.

As an adult her first job when she moved back to Virginia was on Capitol Hill working for Representative St. Orange from Florida. From there she moved to the World Bank, where she met and befriended people from all over the world..Then she became the Housing Officer at Bolling Air Force Base. Later, when living in Texas, she worked as the Housing Officer at Fort Sam Houston.

Anne is descended from a prominent Virginia family who can trace their roots back through King Henry VIIIth and before. In the United States members of her family have served in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, WW1, and both the Korean and Vietnam Conflicts. Anne is a direct descendent of George Walton, signer of the Declaration of Independence. As a child she was a member of the Children of the Confederacy and qualifies now to be in the Daughters of the American Revolution and other societies.

Anne has always been a loving, supportive mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She will be missed by everyone who knew her, especially her family.

A graveside service will be held Saturday morning, November 15th at 11 o'clock in Historic Bethany Cemetery. The Rev. Grayson "Butch" Blackwell will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to St. John's Methodist Church, P.O. Box 809, Aiken, SC 29802.

SHELLHOUSE - RIVERS FUNERAL HOME, 715 EAST PINE LOG RD., AIKEN, SC