Cecilia Ann “Ann” Maddry Anderson, 79, of College Station, Texas, passed away on August 15, 2026.

She was born on November 12, 1946, in Minden, Louisiana, to Samuel Gladney Maddry and Rachel Toms Maddry.

Ann grew up with a joyful and adventurous spirit that would characterize her throughout her life. She attended Fort Stockton High School, where she was a cheerleader, and later attended Texas Western College. Her college years came to an end for the best of reasons, she left school to marry the man she loved, John Anderson.

Ann and John built a life together marked by deep love, faith, adventure, service, and devotion to family. She was immensely proud to be the wife of a Vietnam veteran and embraced life as an Army wife. Through the years, their adventures took them across the country and around the world. They traveled to Hawaii during the Vietnam War, rafted the Guadalupe River and the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho, stood on the equator in Quito, Ecuador, traveled throughout Europe, and visited Washington, D.C. Ann approached life with enthusiasm and was rarely afraid of a new adventure.

But those who knew Ann will remember far more than the places she traveled. They will remember her beautiful smile and her heart for others.

Serving people was a key part of Ann’s life. Over the years, she volunteered with numerous nonprofit and community organizations. She served as president of the Republican Women of the Brazos Valley, as an officer with the Texas Federation of Republican Women, and as a board member for Bryan/College Station Habitat for Humanity. She and John also opened their home and hearts to Rotary Youth Exchange students, serving as host parents and welcoming young people from around the world into their family.

Ann loved her country, the U.S. Army, Texas A&M University, traveling, cooking, music, her friends, and above all, her family. She was an accomplished pianist and an excellent cook. Among the music she especially loved were “How Great Thou Art,” “I Can Only Imagine,” “Unchained Melody,” “Two Silver Hearts,” and “Lonely Teardrops.”

At the center of Ann’s life was her faith in God and her love for her Savior, Jesus Christ. Her faith was not merely something she professed. It shaped the way she loved and cared for the people around her. From the beginning of their relationship, Ann prayed faithfully for John. He credits her with helping bring him back to Jesus Christ and to the church, and her prayers and faithful love left an immeasurable mark on his life.

In Ann’s later years, as she faced the challenges of COPD and Alzheimer’s disease, John considered caring for his wife one of the greatest privileges of his life. Their marriage was marked by a love that endured through both joyful adventures and difficult seasons. In John’s words, “My most important opportunity has been caring for Ann, and I love her as much as any man has ever loved a woman.”

Ann is survived by her beloved husband, John Anderson Jr.; her sons, John Anderson III and Daniel Anderson; her grandchildren, Zachary, Jesse, Bethany, Mary Kate, Faith, Seth, Isaiah, Grayson, and Summer; and many other family members and friends whose lives were touched by her kindness and love.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Samuel Gladney Maddry and Rachel Toms Maddry; her sister, Marguerite Whitworth; her brother-in-law, Les Whitworth; and her granddaughter, Marissa.

Ann leaves behind a legacy of faith, love, service, laughter, adventure, and devotion to the people God placed in her life. Those who loved her will miss her beautiful smile, but they give thanks for a life well lived and for the Christian hope she held dear.

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”

—John 11:25