Anne Byland

Anne was born on September 2, 1933 in Greenville, South Carolina to Mary VanZandt Smith Davis and Thomas Smith. She departed this world to join her Lord and Savior on June 14, 2022 in Zachary, Louisiana. She was 88 years old.

Anne loved her Lord; she loved her husband and best friend, Ben; she loved her two sons and their families, and she loved her church. Following a short career as an executive secretary for Ethyl Corporation in her newlywed days, Anne focused her energy on being a devoted mother and homemaker after the birth of her first child in 1957. She was extraordinarily talented as a cook and seamstress in the home, served as PTA president at her sons’ school, and served her church as volunteer secretary for many years. Anne loved singing in the church choir, and she served her church in various leadership roles including Chairperson of the Administrative Board. Anne loved her hobbies of bridge, golf, bowling, backpacking, cross-country skiing, gardening, reading, and working crossword puzzles. Anne was an accomplished artist who leaves behind numerous awe-inspiring paintings which the family cherishes, and her favorite subjects were the wonders of the Colorado mountains that she enjoyed on so many backpacking and cross-country skiing trips. Anne also loved the days when she worked alongside Ben in volunteering with Habitat for Humanity or on various work projects around the church as well as attending LSU football games for more than fifty years.

Anne graduated in Pre-Med from LSU in 1954 at the young age of 20 and was excited to be a Golden Tiger at the reunion in 2004. Anne was preceded in death by her parents Mary and A.O. Davis, and her husband of 64 years, Benjamin A. Byland. She is survived by her two sons and their wives, Dave and Bonnie Byland and Matt and Jan Byland; six grandchildren, Travis Byland and wife Jenna, Laurie Byland Byerly and husband Michael, Orrin Byland and partner Mary Burleigh, Lucas Byland, Zane Byland, and Kirby Byland; five great-grandchildren, Levi, Josiah, and King Byerly and Parker and Cameron Byland. Anne was a charter member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Brownfields and then was a member of Zachary United Methodist Church for over 30 years after she and Ben built their dream home and moved to the Port Hudson area. Pallbearers will be her grandsons, Vince Giaccone, and Thad Rathbun. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Zachary United Methodist Church and Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home. The family wishes to extend thanks to the staff at Oakwood Village Assisted Living, especially Sade Harris and Samaria Murray.

Visitation will be at Zachary United Methodist Church in Zachary, LA, on Saturday, June 18, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. until services at 11:00 a.m., with Rev. Josh Milliron officiating. Burial will be in the Plains Presbyterian Memorial Gardens.

To view and sign the online guestbook, please visit www.rabenhorst.com