Obituary of Annie Bell Bales

May 14, 1936 – June 14, 2020 Annie (Ann) Bell Bales went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, surrounded by her loving family at home, after a lengthy battle with Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Alzheimer’s Disease. Ann was born on May 14, 1936 to Clarence and Allura Bell in Sanford, FL. She married Robert Arthur Bales on December 24, 1959. Ann and Bob had three children, Abby, Amy and Art. They lived most of their lives in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Ann and Bob moved to Lexington, NC in 1996 to live closer to family. Ann graduated from NN High School and Pan Am Business School in Richmond, VA. She had various jobs in her life but none as important as raising her three children. Ann was a very talented floral decorator and seamstress. She made Amy’s wedding dress and baptism/christening gowns for many of her 17 grandchildren. Ann loved her family! One of her favorite things to do was to go on the annual family beach trip…first to Nags Head, NC and then later to Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Beach, NC. Ann loved playing cards with her family. She loved to cook for large family gatherings, clean, and help her family in any way that she was able. She loved all of her grandchildren and cherished her time with them. Ann is preceded in death by her beloved grandparents, Perry and Coma Whitehurst of Sparks, GA and her parents, Allura and Clarence Bell. She is survived by her husband, Bob Bales, to whom she was married for 60 years; her children and their spouses Abby (Bob) Hines of Wake Forest, NC , Amy (Joey) Jeffers of Winston-Salem, NC and Art (Melissa) Bales of Walton; her 17 grandchildren: Allie (Brad) Cullen and Ashelyn (Chris) Pacilio; Charis, Josiah, Faith and Ruth Jeffers; Maria, Katarina, Teresa, Gabriel, Angelina, Lilia, Robert, Cecilia, Agnes, Lucia and Margaret Bales; great grandchildren Roselyn, Alivia, Christopher and Natalie; her brother, Robert Stevens Bell of Mathews, VA, several cousins, nieces and nephews. Ann is preceded in death by many sweet dogs and cats who she tenderly loved and cared for over the years and she is survived by her puppy Sweet Pea. We want to thank Dr. Eugene Paschold, Paula Norman, Rayvon Mitchell and other staff at the Novant Health Cancer Center for their excellent care and compassion toward our family as we navigated this difficult disease. Many thanks also to Dr. Dianna Sue Howard, at Wake Forest Baptist Health, for her wisdom and compassion in helping to develop a treatment plan for Ann that extended her life by more than a year. Many thanks to Dr. Holly Ivey who cared for Ann with great patience, love, and compassion for many years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ann’s memory to the American Cancer Society. There will be a graveside service in Hampton, VA and a memorial service in Winston-Salem at later times. Affordable Cremations is serving the family.