Anne was born in Jackson, TN to Dr. George Edward Hazlehurst and Aud Staumo Hazlehurst. She was the oldest of four children (brothers George Edward Hazlehurst and Rolf Gulbrand Staumo Hazlehurst, and sister Alicia Hazlehurst Payne). Known for being a loving wife, mother, sister and daughter, a generous friend, and a world renowned traveler, Anne made every moment something to celebrate for all those around her as she “squeezed the juice out of life.”
Anne was a 1984 graduate of Old Hickory Academy in Jackson where she met and later married her high school sweetheart John Vernon Garrard. In college, she proudly studied art history at Randolph Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, VA. She spent her junior year abroad studying in Reading, England. It was this experience along with her love for art, antiques, and “pretty things” that led her to go back to England after graduation to continue her studies of 17th and 18th Century French and English antiques with Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. She would frequently reminisce on her days in England over a cup of tea with her three daughters.
Upon returning to the States, Anne became a flight attendant for Delta Airlines - a job she was deeply devoted to for over 30 years until her battle with colon cancer required her to stop flying. It was her time spent traveling to Norway every summer to visit her mother’s family in combination with her time in England and backpacking Europe that inspired her to find a career where she could continue to explore the globe. Even after her diagnosis, she continued to fly for a short time saying to her fellow flight crews, “there is nowhere else I’d rather be.” Over the years, her job took her all over the world including Eastern Asia, South America, Africa, and back to her favorite place, London.
One of her last work trips was to Rome, where she spent her layover touring the Vatican. It was here on a walk that the clouds parted just enough to allow rays of light to glisten over the top of St. Peter’s Basilica, and she felt the Holy Spirit tell her, “You are not alone.” This experience gave her the acceptance, peace, and incredible grace to handle her diagnosis while becoming a beacon of God’s love for all those that knew her.
Like her father, Anne believed that travel was one of the most beneficial and educational experiences life had to offer. She continued to pursue her passion even while undergoing treatment. In recent years she visited Switzerland, Paris, Copenhagen, Italy, and Norway with family despite the unrelenting side effects of chemotherapy. Her passion for life was inspiring to everyone around her. When planning a trip to Norway just a few months ago, her sister questioned whether king crab fishing on a small rubber boat in the North Sea was the best idea and Anne responded, “I’ll be driving that boat!” Indeed, when that day came she handed over her walker and was the first one to climb onboard.
Anne and her beloved husband, John, were blessed with three beautiful daughters whom she is survived by: Anne Elizabeth of Jackson, TN, Mary Caroline and her fiance Neville Whitehead of Jackson, MS, and Eleanor Hazlehurst of Jackson, TN. While she loved her job, her greatest calling was motherhood. She relished every moment and frequently stated that her three girls were her pride and joy. As her cancer progressed, there were several times she could have given up, but always said she would keep fighting for her girls.
Anne is also survived by her mother Aud, brother Edward and his wife Andrea, brother Rolf and his wife Mandee, sister Alicia and her husband Parker Payne, niece Sarah Hazlehurst, and nephews Yates Hazlehurst, Dane, Caden, Carter, and Declan Lochbaum and Gray Payne. She is preceded in death by her father Dr. George Edward Hazlehurst.
As part of her last act of service and in gratitude to all the staff, nurses, and doctors at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center where she received treatment over the last five years, Anne made an anatomical donation to further cancer research.
The memorial service for Anne Hazlehurst Garrard will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in downtown Jackson, TN on Friday, Dec. 8 at 11 a.m. with a reception following in the St. Luke’s Parish Hall.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Jackson, TN or to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, TN.
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