Anne Ridgely Rowbotham
Anne Ridgely Rowbotham, 76, of Hallettsville passed away Wednesday, July 19, 2023.
She was born July 8, 1947 at St Joseph’s Hospital in Houston to George and Ann Humphries.
Following education in her hometown of Baytown, and at the University of Texas at Austin, Anne entered the banking profession, first in Austin then in Baytown. She became the second woman to be commissioned as a Texas State Bank Examiner, and then moved to Houston to join First City Bank as a Senior Banking Officer.
In 1988 she emigrated to England to marry Alan where she worked first in Alan’s bar then for an insurance company. Anne was the manager of a local branch of a Building Society and finally was employed by a Government Agency responsible for social housing. She returned to Texas in 1996 to continue her banking career, Alan followed some months later having sold everything in the UK and shipping her cat.
After a further spell in Private Banking, Anne chose to move to Hallettsville in 2001 and become a substitute school teacher at several local schools. She retired in 2016 to accompany her newly-retired husband on numerous travels both in the US and abroad. She particularly enjoyed cruising taking several river and sea cruises in the US, Europe and South America. She even visited Antarctica.
Anne loved life and loved people and when asked why she had moved to Hallettsville would answer “We just got lucky”.
After serving 20 years on the School Art Committee she became a lifetime member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. She was an active member and past President of the Lavaca Medical Center Auxiliary, former president of the Friench Simpson Memorial Library Board, member and past president of Hallettsville Lions and a Charter member of the Great State Republicans. Anne was also an occasional actor at the Shiner Gaslight Theatre.
She was a keen but friendly bridge player - enjoying the half-time goodies and the company as much as the cards.
Anne leaves behind husband, Alan, of 35 years, and her four beloved cats; a son, Gant, from a former marriage, and wife, Amy, and two granddaughters, Hannah and Leah. She also leaves a sister, Eugenia, and husband, David and a second sister, Sydney.
She was predeceased by both her parents.
A celebration of life will be held on 3 p.m., Sunday Aug, 20 at the Sacred Heart Family Center in Hallettsville.