Armetha Anthony's Obituary
Armetha (Woodall) Anthony was born on January 24, 1942, to Elex Woodall and Lula Mae (Ivy) Woodall in Lafayette County, Mississippi. She was the third of fifteen children born to the Woodall family. In her youth, she took care of her younger brothers and sisters, making sure they attended school and encouraged them to be the best they could be.
She attended Taylor Vocational School in Taylor, Mississippi and St. Mary’s Catholic High School in Holly Springs, Mississippi. There, she cultivated her life-long devotion to sport and physical fitness, including running track and playing on the basketball team. She later
matriculated into Rust College, earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics in May 1967. She went on to attend the University of Iowa where she earned a Master’s of Science in Special Education in 1974.
She taught mathematics and special education for approximately 19 years at St. Joseph High School in Jackson, Mississippi. She then transitioned to teaching at Richland High School in Richland, Mississippi, where she remained for 20 years. Over an illustrious career in education throughout Mississippi, Armetha achieved numerous “firsts,” breaking barriers and expanding opportunities for African-American junior high and high school students. She served not only as an educator but also as a coach, leading girls’ volleyball, girls’ basketball, and tennis teams, several of which won state championships. Her commitment to students extended well beyond the classroom, as she regularly tutored students in need—often welcoming them into her home late into the evening.
In addition to her longstanding commitment to teaching and coaching, Armetha was an avid tennis player and coach and continued to stay on the court until her early seventies. During her heyday, Armetha was a top-ranked United States Tennis Association seniors player, placing in the top 10 singles category at one point in her career. She and her husband, Johnny, spent decades playing competitively, often traveling around the country to participate in tournaments. Armetha also had the great privilege of attending the U.S. Open in New York and
Wimbledon/The Championships tournament in London, England.
In addition to her professional and athletic accomplishments, Armetha was deeply engaged in service. She was active in the Missionary Society and Stewardess Board # 2 at the historic Pearl Street A.M.E. Church, supported Habitat for Humanity, and mentored young African-American women through her sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. She was also fiercely devoted to her family all around the country.
Armetha married Johnny Anthony on June 4, 1967. The union produced two children, Vincent L. Anthony (Gail) of Los Angeles, California and Arthur E. Anthony (LaTonya) of Garner, North Carolina. Armetha loved to brag about her boys, one being a doctor and the other being a lawyer. She was also a proud grandmother to Danielle and Victoria Anthony.
She is preceded in death by her brothers Alex Woodall (Clara), Willie Lee Woodall, Joe Willie and Joe Luster as well as her sister Minnie Lou (Woodall) Carothers. She is survived by ten brothers and sisters, including Rev. Leroy Woodall (Lillian) of Pompano Beach, Florida; Rev. John B. Woodall of Taylor, Mississippi; Rev. Charles Woodall of Taylor, Mississippi; Sammie Lee Woodall (Lou) of Taylor, Mississippi; Rev. Robert Woodall (Charlene) of Carlisle, Pennsylvania; Rev. James Woodall (Pam) of Carlisle, Pennsylvania; God Brother Deacon James Martin; Ella Mae Foster of Taylor, Mississippi; Rev. Ruthie Jean Woodall of Taylor, Mississippi; Annie Ruth Toles (Robert) of Taylor, Mississippi along with special sisters-in-law Ava Jackson
and Vicki Evans, dozens of nieces and nephews, cousins, great nieces and nephews and many others.
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