Anne Ayers Maier

Survivors include her beloved husband, Robert “Bob” Maier, of Brentwood, TN; her children, Chase (Margaret) Ayers, Natalie Maier (Kirk) Culbertson, Brendan Maier (Jodi) and Carianne Ayers (Bryan) Kenney; her grandchildren, Mitchell Culbertson (12), Austin Kenney (9), Katelyn Ayers (9) and Amelia Culbertson (9); and her siblings, Jim Robinett, Bob Robinett, Bill Robinett, and Jane Kendall. She is preceded in death by her mother and father, Ruth Kegley Robinett and Julius Frank Robinett.

A native of Princeton, WV, Anne graduated from Princeton High School in 1965 and later from Bluefield Community College. She worked as a radiology technician and managed several medical practices, including serving as the administrative director of the Department for Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago. In 1992 after moving to Nashville, she helped establish and lead the Comprehensive Care Center, a full-service medical clinic for people with HIV/AIDS. She was dedicated to supporting the HIV/AIDS community and organized many fundraisers to benefit the center and other related programs. She was also on the planning committee of the Residential Alive Hospice facility in downtown Nashville. She received many accolades for her work including the establishment of the Anne Maier Community Service Award of Excellence in 2000, which annually recognizes extraordinary dedication to community service by providing care to people affected by HIV / AIDS through intervention and public health awareness efforts. After leaving the CCC, she worked side by side with her husband at his firm, Regents Health Resources, until she retired in 2010.

Anne’s greatest joy was her family. She found her soulmate in Bob and they had a deeply loving relationship for over 30 years. Together they successfully blended their families and built a strong foundation, which she nurtured and celebrated each and every day. There was never a moment when Anne wasn’t planning something special for someone in her family, it could have been as elaborate as a surprise party for her sister, Jane, or as simple as a trip to visit her brother, Bob, and his wife, Sharon, to celebrate a milestone anniversary. But it was possibly the roles of Mom and Nana where she shone the brightest. Her fierce love and devotion to her children and her grandchildren was beyond the moon and back. She always made sure they knew how proud she was of them and that they could achieve anything they set their hearts and minds to. She was creative and energetic, never letting an opportunity to create a special memory pass her by. She will always be remembered for Nana Camp, stocking scavenger hunts at Christmas time, fairy house decorating, and endless games and crafts.

Anne’s second greatest joy was entertaining and cooking. She loved to have the house filled with family and friends for the holidays and any occasion she could make up. She hosted themed dinner parties for charity, bridge games, Easter egg hunts, candy making get-togethers, and many more events. Her specialty dishes included chicken cordon blue, Hot Virginia Dip, rack of lamb and cheesy potatoes. But, she had many delicious dishes in her repertoire and even created a book of her recipes for her children, which they cherish.

Anne also loved to travel and took many special trips in her lifetime including sailing trips in the Caribbean, ski trips in the Rocky Mountains, motorcycle trips to New Zealand and throughout the US, a food and wine tour in Italy, and most recently, a special visit to Amsterdam and Ireland.

While Anne certainly visited many incredible locations in her life, one of her favorite places was right down the road at the family lake house in Monteagle, TN. There, she and Bob created a home where the whole family could gather and enjoy the outdoors and time together. It not only became a place where everyone could cook, play, zip-line, swing, hike, boat, swim and make s’mores together but it became the place where Anne found peace during the difficult challenges she faced the last few years of her life. Anne became a part of the community and was integral to the establishment of a community garden and the annual Clifftops 4th of July Regatta.

Anne was nothing if not a social butterfly. She made friends with everyone she met. Some of her closest friends she met on trips just by boldly introducing herself to people she didn’t know. She had close friends from every phase of her life. Many of those friends helped take care of her throughout her illness. She traveled with them, she played Words with Friends with them, and she supported them as they ultimately supported her. She touched the lives of everyone she came in contact with. She had a friendliness, familiarity, and trusting nature that led many people to confide in her. A few nurses she met while in rehab even mentioned that she helped them through particularly difficult times.

The passing of Anne leaves a large hole that cannot be filled. She served as our confidant, our cheerleader, and our energy. She had an undeniable effervescence. She never expected more of us than she expected of herself. She knew how to bring out the best in people and helped us all live up to our potential. She was also brave, strong, and stubborn. She showed tremendous courage in the face of cancer and its complications. Courage that ultimately allowed her to make her own choice about the final days of her life. She is an inspiration to us all to live life to the fullest, to treat everyone with respect, and to find happiness in everything we do. She will be deeply missed.

Family requests that memorial contributions be made to Alive Hospice and the Comprehensive Care Center both in Nashville, TN.

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