Dates
“Getting old takes courage…” and no one was more courageous than Anita Armstrong Adkins who peacefully passed from this world On Friday, May 06, 2022. This special woman is survived by four children, Chris Adkins, San Antonio, Cathy Zeis (Randy) Pottsboro, Aimee Simms (Dudley), Dallas, John Adkins (Dianna) Hurst, ten grandchildren, Meredith Villarreal (Jaime) Houston, Anabelle Adkins, Houston, Russell Adkins (Brittanie) Colorado, Charlie Zeis, Pottsboro, Lee Simms (Haley) Alabama, Armstrong Simms, Waco, Hampton Simms, North Carolina, Boone Simms, Dallas, Mary Adkins, Hurst, Claire Adkins, Hurst and two great-granddaughters, Vivienne Anita Villarreal, Houston And Charlotte Grey Adkins, Colorado. She is also survived by her sister Tina Book (Michael) and family. Special cousins Bill Armstrong (Susan), Penny Moore (Freddy) Carrie Sonders (Sy) And Families.
Her remarkable past reads like an adventure novel. Anita graduated from the first class at Lee Junior High School. She graduated from Hockaday in 1954 and garnered a degree from the University of Texas in 1959 after being a pledge Theta at Texas Tech. After graduating, she married Russell Adkins in March of 1959. Anita served the San Angelo community in many ways. Teaching was one of her dear passions as she taught English at Edison Junior High for 32 years. During her teaching career she chaired the English Department and taught “a little bit of heaven in 211.” She judged many essay contests and spelling bees and also had the honored position of sitting on the great books committee and other curriculum committees. She was born to John and Faustine Armstrong on June 25, 1936, in San Angelo, Texas. You may remember that the Armstrong brothers ran a lumber yard in San Angelo for a number of years. Anita was the board chairman of the San Angelo Junior League; was part of the Junior Cotillion and served on the Mental Retardation Board Charity. Somehow Anita found time to tutor dyslexia students through the Williams Foundation, work with numerous charities, judged essay and spelling bees, and sponsored a trip to Abilene for freshmen to see an E.A. Poe presentation.
Anita derived joy in her good friends known as the concho pearls. Her greatest joy, however, was belonging to the Emmanuel Episcopal Church where she served as Directress of the Altar Guild, Vestry, Bible Study Group, Eucharist Minister, Lector and also as a Lay Minister, and Chalice Bearer, Lay Reader and graduate of the church’s EFM program. Anita also graduated from the University of the South Theological Education Extension Ministry, School of Theology in 2006.
Anita’s very special life was also marked by her love of travel, especially to the British Isles, reading, dancing, playing bridge and beating her daughter, son-in-law and grandson, Charlie, in "spite and malice." Anita wanted to give special thanks to Dr. John Harvey, Jack Leewright, all the doctors for their care over the years, Comfort Keepers, especially Kyra Smith, Ryan Reid, Shannon Home Health, Concho Heart Hospice, especially Nicole and Crystal, Sagecrest Skilled Nursing Center and all of her caregivers over this past year. To special friend Margaret Lankford for the wonderful Saturday visits and Mary Gonzales, Wilson and Jonathan Rockefeller, thanks also to her friends at Market Street and Gabe at CVS.
The Memorial Service will be 11:00 A.M., Thursday, May 12, 2022, at Emmanuel Episcopal Church with Rev. Matt Rowe officiating.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Rev. Matt Rowe's Discretionary Fund, Emmanuel Episcopal Church or eatliketherainbow.org.