JoAnn Pomeroy Anderton’s joyful spirit united with the church triumphant on August 3rd, 2019. Born in 1933 to Bernice Isabella Hazelton “Bunny” Pomeroy and Henry Clay Pomeroy in Braintree, Massachusetts, she moved with her parents to Lake Charles, Louisiana, when she was 9 years old. As a child, she enjoyed singing, participating in Campfire Girls, and cultivating her lifelong love for all of God’s creatures. After graduating from Lake Charles High School, she attended Southwestern at Memphis, later renamed Rhodes College, where she majored in music. It was in college that she met and married the love of her life, Rev. Dr. Malcolm Patterson Anderton, Jr. Following their graduation from Southwestern, they moved to Richmond, Virginia, where Malcolm attended seminary at Union Theological Seminary and their first two children were born. Together they partnered with congregations to serve God at Manly Presbyterian Church in Southern Pines, NC, Highland Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem, NC, First Presbyterian Church in Orlando, FL, and Winter Park Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, NC.
JoAnn’s volunteer work included 50 years of teaching Sunday School and church camp as well as many summers when she accompanied high school youth to the Montreat Youth Conference in Montreat, NC. She volunteered regularly in her children’s classrooms and school clinics, the American Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, Church World Service Cropwalk, and was instrumental in establishing the Interfaith Hospitality Network in Wilmington to address the needs of those who struggle with food and housing insecurity. A voracious reader, she remained active and thoroughly enjoyed participating in her monthly book club as well as the Wilmington Women’s Club. During the past two years, three of her favorite weekly activities were worshipping with her church family on Sunday mornings, working out with her friends at Bodies and Balance, and volunteering at the Global River Church House of Mercy Food Pantry with her caregiver, Risa Johnson.
JoAnn’s love for music of all genres was lifelong. When her children were small, she taught piano lessons out of their home and provided solos in church choirs. She later sang with the Wilmington Oratorio, renamed the Wilmington Choral Society. During the last year of her life she enjoyed taking ukulele lessons at Winter Park Presbyterian Church and beamed as she sang on her 85th birthday in the local performance of Handel’s Messiah at St. Andrews Covenant Presbyterian Church. Fulfilling her call as a Christian Educator, she served as Interim Director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church, St. Andrews Covenant Presbyterian Church, and Westminster Presbyterian Church in Wilmington. She began her more than 50-year vocation teaching weekday preschool at Highland Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem, and continued at First Presbyterian Church in Orlando, and Windermere Presbyterian Church in Wilmington. She retired from teaching in 2009, and retired as Director of the Windermere Presbyterian Preschool in 2012.
Anyone who knew JoAnn Anderton for any length of time was aware of her uncompromising love for her family, her Florida State Seminoles and animals of all shapes and sizes. To the surprise of her family, she even developed an appreciation for NASCAR in the last few years of her life. Throughout her entire life she acquired and nurtured sick, discarded, and injured animals. She was fierce in her determination to affirm the worth of all living creatures. She left this world surrounded by her beloved family, friends, and pets, including her guinea pig, Buttons, and her cat, Chessie. Her dogs, Annabelle and Bridgette, were both snuggled alongside her loving hands.
Survivors include her four children, Carol DeLoach (John) of Tallahassee, FL, Phil Anderton (Mary) of Zephyrhills, FL, Julie Brewer (Charlie) of Wilmington, and Amy Knowles (Brett) of Wilmington. Her 10 grandchildren include Joshua (Mallory) DeLoach, David (Elyse) DeLoach, Zachary DeLoach, Emily Anderton, Ashley (Bryan) Reynolds, Mary Hannah Anderton, Chase (Amanda) Brewer, Andrew Brewer, Brittain Knowles, and Savanah Knowles. Her 11 great-grandchildren include Aaron, Ben, McKenzie, Piper, Kylie, Typhanie, Dilan, Castin, Isabella, Brylee, and Laken.
The family would like to thank Dr. Mary Rudyk, along with caregivers Risa Johnson, Kiara Kennedy, the Home Instead caregivers, and all of the wonderful staff at Trinity Grove Senior Care Community in Myrtle Grove, NC.
A Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held on Saturday, August 17, at 11:00am at Winter Park Presbyterian Church, 4501 Wrightsville Avenue, Wilmington. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer that donations be directed locally to the Winter Park Presbyterian Church Good Samaritan Fund, the Global River Church House of Mercy Food Pantry, or toward the Staff Wellness Fund for the outstanding personnel at Trinity Grove
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