"Bobby" Annie Quinn

May 6, 2019

Annie Merle R. Quinn, 94 "Bobby" was a native of Ruth, Mississippi. She died peacefully at home in Portsmouth, on May 6, 2019. She was raised on a small farm in rural Mississippi during the Great Depression; Bobby grew up with a love of books, nature, gardening, family, pets and service. When WWII began and as soon as she was old enough, Bobby left her job as a telephone operator and joined the Navy at her brother's encouragement & father's support. Though her service in the Navy W.A.V.E.S. at NAS Vero Beach, Florida, only lasted the length of the war, that time and the friendships she made were some of her most treasured memories. Following the war Bobby returned to Bell Telephone outside Jackson, MS, as an operator & supervisor, where she met and married Will Matt Quinn Jr who had served in the Navy at the base in Vero Beach as well. After marriage and college for him, they joined the General Electric company , moved to Syracuse, NY and began their family with Mike in 1951, Bill in 1953 and after a move to Phoenix, Arizona, Carol in 1957. More moves took them across the country, living in and learning about several regions of the country until settling and eventually retiring in Portsmouth. During those and following years Bobby had the chance to travel to distant areas of the globe and extend her learning to other cultures and countries. In Portsmouth Bobby served as a volunteer at Portsmouth General Hospital for 25 years, joined and enjoyed the local garden club, raised flower & vegetable gardens, took occasional fishing and travel adventures and continued her other hobbies of rug-hooking, crochet work and making carefully detailed, hand-crafted Raggedy Ann & Andy dolls. Throughout her life Bobby read voraciously, looking through any library, bookstore or used book sale became a passion for some years and the enjoyment of reading lasted for her life. Bobby is preceded in death by her husband Will Matt, her eldest son David Michael, and her daughter & youngest child Carol Diane Pfeiffer. She is survived by her son William Robert Quinn, her daughter in law Cathy Quinn, son in law Richard Pfeiffer, three very loved grandchildren, Michael, Charles Andrew & William and several loved nieces & nephews and their children. The family asks that in lieu of flowers contributions be made to the Women's Military Memorial, [www.womensmemorial.org], Portsmouth Humane Society, United Way, or Bon Secours Hospice. All services will be held at Centenary United Methodist Church on Monday, May 13, 2019. The family will receive friends from 12:30-1:45 pm in the chapel. He funeral service will be held at 2 pm with interment to follow at Olive Branch Cemetery.