Evelyn Doris Williams Anderson

Evelyn Doris Williams Anderson departed this earth on May 30 to be with God the Father Almighty in Heaven. Born April 24, 1939 to David Lewis Williams & Ivy Williams in Deptford, London, England, Evelyn was as strong as they come. Even Adolf Hitler & the Third Reich couldn't take her down. In 1941, the bombardment of England began. For 2 straight weeks, the bombs came down; destroying her neighborhood and her home where only her iron crib that she slept in kept her from being crushed by falling debris. Her earliest memories were of the nights her family spent taking refuge in underground shelters during the German Luftwaffe bombardment. Evelyn was a graduate from Hemel Hempstead Grammar school where she was an exceptional student and athlete. She set school records in the decathlon; discus & the javelin throw, but her real passion was tennis. On her 21st birthday she accepted a special advisor post to the French Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Herve Alphard. Fluent in the languages of French & German, she was an important part of the French delegation to the NATO alliance. Her work for the French government took a turn that led her to Washington D.C. where she met Lt. Samuel W. Anderson, U.S. Navy. Smitten with the young Lt. Anderson from Morrilton, Arkansas, their courtship turned to marriage. Shortly after his retirement from the Navy, they moved to Arkansas to start a life together. In July of 1967, Evelyn proudly became a citizen of the United States of America. Evelyn was a renaissance woman; a hard working mother of two, working for Falcon Jet in the 70's and then First Federal Savings Bank of Little Rock in the 80's. She gave so much of her time to the benefit of others. She was a social worker for The Youth Home where she assisted children who came from impossible home situations. Trinity Cathedral Parish was central in Evelyn's heart. Elected President of the Episcopal Church Women in 1975- she considered that to be one of her greatest honors. She started many of the Parish's traditions including the Flowering of the Cross at Easter & the Parish Fair which was a favorite of the schoolchildren of Trinity's Cathedral School. She loved the symphony & the arts and she believed they were important to the education of children, so much so that she wrote, produced and directed a play call The Kinderconcert that included actors from the Arkansas Art Center & musicians from the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and of course, her sons, Shy and Timo. Gardening, tennis and biking were her hobbies. She grew rose bushes that were the envy of the neighborhood and her skill at tennis caused her to be a top recruit on the mixed doubles circuit at the Country Club of Little Rock. Her love for travel drew Evelyn to another career as a Flight Attendant for United Airlines. International routes were her specialty; after all, she could speak the languages! From Eastern Europe, the Far East, Australia and the African continent, she loved the adventure but her favorite was Paris. The grandchildren loved her tales of travel and benefited from her perfect French she taught them while cooking in the kitchen making Shepherd's pie, the ultimate cheesecake or everyone's favorite…Nana's Lemon Cake. The shared British traditions of Christmas crackers, her hand-made needlepoint Christmas stockings for each family member and soft boiled eggs with toast soldiers were uniquely "Nana". Evelyn leaves her two loving sons; David Shy Anderson (Charlotte) of Dallas, Texas, and Timothy "Timo" Anderson of Little Rock, Ark., Grandchildren Haley, Shy Jr., Paxton, Annaleise & Callahan Anderson, as well as her British side of the family; niece Helen, Mandy and nephew Lee Williams; Gerald and Jane Paxton, children Paul, David and Kerrie. She is predeceased by her parents and her only sibling, her loving brother, Robin Williams. Shy & Timo would like to give thanks to Dr. John Meadors, Dr. Frederick A. Meadors, Dr. Gail McCracken and the very special staff at Arkansas Hospice for their love and kindness during Evelyn's last days. We could not have made it through the darkest of hours without the pastoral care from the great clergy of Trinity Cathedral Parish –The Very Rev. Dr. Chris Keller III & Rev. Dr. James Russell Snapp. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be given to Trinity Cathedral Parish & Catholic High School for Boys. A funeral service will be held Tuesday, June 5, 2018 at 1p.m. in Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. The family will receive friends, guests and loved ones in Morrison Hall immediately following the interment of Evelyn's ashes in Treadway Garden. Arrangements are under the direction of Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.