Obituary for Ann Dobbs

Ann Hemperley Dobbs died peacefully on Monday, January 3, 2022, in Columbia, South Carolina. Born on January 24, 1933, she was the daughter of Carlos Mason Hemperley of East Point, GA and Willilu Burch of Eastman, GA. Ann grew up in East Point and completed her BA at Agnes Scott College in Decatur. In 1953 she married Don Dobbs, and in 1955 they moved to Spartanburg, SC where Don joined the faculty at Wofford College and taught Biology for forty years. Shortly after moving to Spartanburg, Ann and Don became members of the First Presbyterian Church where both taught Sunday School. In later years, Ann was a member of the bell choir.

Having studied piano for many years, Ann was an accomplished pianist, and as a young wife and mother she taught piano lessons. In preparation for entering the Spartanburg School System as a teacher in 1969, she completed the first of her two master’s degrees from Converse College. In 1971 she joined the English Department at the Spartanburg Day School where she taught high-school English for twenty-four years. In addition to teaching American and British literature and coaching Model UN, Ann led the drama program at the Day School and directed many outstanding productions that included The King and I and Meet Me in St. Louis. In 1992 she wrote and directed a play about Ann Pamela Cunningham, who founded the women’s organization that raised money to purchase, restore, and preserve Mount Vernon. Our Ladies and Their Hero, which included music written by Fran Davis, caught the attention of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, and the Day School Drama Club was invited to Mount Vernon to give a special performance. In 1993, Ann helped the First Presbyterian Church celebrate its 150th anniversary by writing and directing a play about the church and its founders.

For many years Ann and Don shared their passion for teaching and learning. Determined for all her students to become critical readers and strong writers, Ann was a demanding but loving teacher. She was often known to say, “I have never had a student I didn’t love.” For Ann and Don, teaching always continued outside of the classroom and they invited scores of students, faculty members, and their children’s friends to share dinner-time discussions over wonderful meals that Ann proudly prepared from family recipes and from Mrs. S.R. Dull’s Southern Cooking cookbook.

When they retired from teaching in 1995, Ann and Don began a new life as innkeepers of The Dodge Hill Inn in Eastman, Georgia. Never one to limit herself to a single pursuit, Ann became the pianist for the First Presbyterian Church, joined the Rotary Club, and became a volunteer for Eastman’s Boys and Girls Club. Carrying her love for literature to Eastman, Ann brought the community together to celebrate “A Dickens of a Christmas” through musical performances, Dickens-themed plays, and Victorian tea parties. For several years this annual event inspired many Eastman residents to attend the festivities in Victorian attire.

Recognized for her work as a volunteer in the Eastman community, Ann won awards from the Eastman Rotary Club in 2001 and 2008. In 2009, Eastman’s Boys & Girls Club gave Ann its “From the Heart Award” to thank her for her efforts in establishing a library at the club. That year Ann also won a GLOW award from the State of Georgia for her active engagement in business and volunteerism after retirement.

While Ann had many passions, her greatest was for her family, and nothing made her happier than having so many relatives for Sunday dinners and holiday meals that additional tables and chairs were required. Days of baking preceded these gatherings, and between meals Ann was at the piano, leading the rest of the family in hymns and carols. She also taught her grandchildren popular songs from the turn of the last century and helped them create scripts, scenery, and costumes for theatrical productions that they performed for the family.

Ann was predeceased by her husband, Don, in 2010. She leaves behind her three children, eleven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, brother, niece, nephew, in-laws, and many cousins. With a deep love for her family members, friends, and former students, Ann was always eager to share in their happiness and to comfort them in times of sorrow.

Services for Ann will take place at 2:00PM Wednesday, January 5, at the Eastman First Presbyterian Church, with Rev. Wayne McDaniel officiating, with interment in Orphans Cemetery in Eastman. The family will receive friends in Southerland Funeral Chapel from 6:00PM-8:00PM Tuesday, January 4. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Spartanburg Day School, 1701 Skylyn Dr, Spartanburg, SC 29307, the Boys & Girls Club of Eastman, 141 11th Ave, Eastman, GA 31023, or the Dodge County Hospital, 901 Griffin Avenue, Eastman, GA 31023.