Elliott, Ann
ELLIOTT (CLAXTON), Ann
Ann Claxton Elliott, age 82, of Knoxville, TN passed peacefully to her heavenly home on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, after a brief battle with Alzheimer's disease. A loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she is survived by her sister, Beverly Claxton Daugherty of Irvine, CA; eight children: Frank (Claire) Schwahn, Suejette (Bernard) Travis, Terri (Scott Mullane) Marion, Scott (Jill) Schwahn, Catherine (Larry) Lee, William (Ingrid) Elliott, Jack (Elizabeth) Elliott, Jr., and Melissa (Richard) Arellano; seventeen grandchildren: Marjorie Schwahn (Stuart) Armstrong, Frank Schwahn, Jr., Dacie Travis Buck, Taryn Mullane, Felix Mullane, Hunter Mullane, Stephen Schwahn, Elliott (Caitlin Fuselier) Schwahn, Victoria (Sebastian Bouscher-Helbig) Schwahn, David (Kem) Lee, Darius Lee, Amy Elliott (Ben) West, Eric (Dawn) Elliott, Diana Elliott (Chris) Dunnavant, Johnny (Mindy) Elliott, John (Annabelle) Arellano, and Victoria Arellano; and fifteen great-grandchildren: Blake and Katherine Armstrong, Alanah and Kade Buck, Juliette Fuselier-Schwahn, Savannah, Charlotte and Graham Lee, Benjamin and Wyatt West, Kathryn and Chase Elliott, Clara Dunnavant, and Indigo and Prudence Arellano.
Ann was born to parents Inez and William Claxton and raised in Clinton, KY, with her older siblings, Bill and Beverly. She attended Hickman County High School, was Valedictorian of her class, and later matriculated at Murray State University, receiving dual Bachelor degrees in Mathematics and Chemistry. She met the widower, Frank James Schwahn, while working at her first post-graduate job as an engineer at Southern Bell. They were married in 1965, and joined his two pre-teen children, Frank and Suejette, in Sandy Springs, GA. Terri and Scott were born shortly afterward.
After Frank James' death in 1981, Ann married the widower, Mayo Jack Elliott, in 1985. The couple remained head-over-heels in love and contrived to make every day an adventure. Ann and Jack enjoyed countless hours volunteering at Apostles Lutheran Church Daycare, traveling the world together, and playing with their local grands and great-grands. Upon Jack's death in 2012, Ann moved to Oak Ridge, TN, to be close to her son, Scott. Terri moved to TN in 2016, to spend time with her also. She lived mostly independently, surviving the fear and isolation of Covid-19, thanks to her many dedicated pen pals, her eagerness to read and learn, and the kindness of friends and loved ones. She enjoyed helping other seniors at Keystone Adult Day Program and found solace and hope studying the scriptures with others at church. It was common for Ann to burst into exuberant song – often an old Baptist hymn or a nursery rhyme tune from her childhood – whenever a memory hit. She had a lovely, joyful singing voice.
Heartfelt thanks to her gentle caregivers at Autumn Care Assisted Living and Smoky Mountain Hospice for easing her transition from this life to her next with love and compassion.
A graveside gathering will be held at 10 AM, on Saturday, June 10, 2023, at Arlington Memorial Park's Sunrise Chapel, in Sandy Springs, GA. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Tennessee Memory Disorders Foundation at www.tmdf.org.
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Funeral Home Information
Arlington Memorial Park
201 Mt Vernon Hwy NW
Sandy Springs, GA
30328
