Anne Nichols Caldwell Parsons passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 surrounded by her beloved family.
As the matriarch of the H.G. Hill family and known for her joy, love, and laughter, family and friends were the center of Anne’s wonderful life which she lived to the fullest.
Anne was born April 22, 1930, in Nashville, TN, and was the daughter of Frances Hill Caldwell and Wentworth Caldwell, Sr. She was the granddaughter and great-granddaughter respectively of two long-standing Nashville family patriarchs – the late H.G. Hill, Sr., founder of the H.G. Hill Company, and James E. Caldwell, a prominent Nashville citizen.
She attended Parmer School, Ward Belmont High School, and Pine Manor Junior College. In 1952, she graduated from Vanderbilt University, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority.
Anne was abundantly generous and a lifelong volunteer. She served on the boards of the H.G. Hill Company, Cheekwood, West End Home for Ladies, and the Cumberland Science Museum. In 1969, she was Chairman of the Swan Ball, benefitting Cheekwood. She also participated on numerous committees of the Nashville Wildlife Park at Grassmere, which is now The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere.
She was an active member of the Nashville community. Anne was a member of the Review Club, The Junior League of Nashville, Centennial Club, The Garden Club of Nashville, Deer Park Garden Club, Belle Meade Country Club, and Hillwood Country Club. She was a lifelong Episcopalian and was a member of St. George’s Episcopal Church.
Anne loved traveling with her family and friends, playing bridge, planning parties, and gardening. Her secret to a long, full life was to: “love and be loved, give and love giving, and always have something to look forward to.”
She was preceded in death by her husbands, William Langley Granbery and Douglas Jerald Parsons; as well as her parents and her sisters, Frances Caldwell Jackson and May Caldwell Brown.
She is survived by her four children and spouses, William Langley Granbery, Jr. (Lois), Horace Hill Granbery (Cornelia), James Wentworth Granbery (Jamie), and Elizabeth Granbery Dingess (David). She is also survived by her 13 grandchildren, who referred to her as Nana, including Emmie Granbery Chen (Jason), Marion Granbery Floyd (Adam), Anne Granbery Barnes (Jack), Margaret Granbery Wadley (Ryan), James Treanor Granbery III (Jessie), Catherine Elizabeth Granbery, Cornelia Granbery Hodges (Will), Hannah Granbery Mooney (Davis), David Alan Dingess, Jr. (Betsy), William Nichols Granbery (Andrea), Anne Douglas Dingess Gee (Duke), Elizabeth Merritt Dingess, Abigail Patricia Granbery, 15 great-grandchildren, her brother Wentworth Caldwell, Jr. (Barry), numerous nieces and nephews and pallbearers Jason Chen, Adam Floyd, Jack Barnes, Ryan Wadley, Treanor Granbery, Will Hodges, Davis Mooney, David Dingess, Jr., Will Granbery and Duke Gee.
The family would like to thank her wonderful and devoted caregivers, Karen George, Shena Beddingfield, Kimberly Lee, and Deanna Hill as well as her attentive doctors at Vanderbilt Medical Center – Dr. Ben Womack, Dr. Robert Miller, Dr. Deepak Gupta, and Dr. Sharon Shen. The family would also like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West who cared for her in her final days.
A private graveside service will be held at 11 AM on Wednesday, May 4th at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Funeral service will be held at 4 PM on Wednesday, May 4th at St. George’s Episcopal Church, with a celebration of life immediately following the service at Belle Meade Country Club.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. George’s Episcopal Church, 4715 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN 37205; The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, 3777 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211; or a charity of your choice.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.marshalldonnellycombs.com for the Parsons family.
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