Florence Ann Bailey (Sprouse) Childress—1944-2021

Florence Ann (Annie) Childress departed this life peacefully at home on September 28, 2021. The eldest of two daughters born to Gertrude and Earl Bailey, she grew up in Barboursville and graduated from Orange County High School. 

Florence is survived by her husband of 29 years, Robert Childress; her daughter Elizabeth Dittmar (Robert) of Charlottesville; her sister Gayle Miller (Gary) of Barboursville; double first cousins and special friends Joe and Charlotte Bailey of Barboursville; and a host of additional cousins, nieces, and friends. 

Florence spent 27 years working for Sperry Marine in Charlottesville until 1992, when she and her husband moved to Phoenix, Arizona to begin a new life adventure. In Arizona, Florence found her calling, working for home builder Del Webb and its successor company Pulte Homes, as an HR manager and later as a Manager for Customer Care. She often remarked she wished she had discovered the home building industry earlier in life. At Del Webb and Pulte Homes she won many awards, including a trip to Hawaii as one of the top 5 outstanding employees in Arizona. The couple moved to South Carolina in 2004, where Florence was named HR and Customer Care manager for Lennar Homes’ Greenville Division. Returning to Barboursville in 2011, she refused to retire, instead working as HR director for The Village at Gordon House in Gordonsville, VA until 2018.

Florence loved to garden, especially growing vegetables. She particularly valued heirloom tomatoes and preserved her own seeds each year for the next planting. She also believed that there was no limit to the number of bell peppers required to feed two people and often harvested a hundred or more to saute, stuff, or freeze.  Whether tomatoes, peppers, cabbages, Swiss chard, onions, or kale her motto was “more is better.”  Why plant only 2 plants, when planting 10 (or 20) is more fun? 

She had a sterling sense of humor, was kind to people who treated her well, loved Manx cats, was quick to smile, and did not suffer fools gladly. Despite the fact that she thought The Rolling Stones were the best rock band in the universe, she will be sorely missed.

Following her wishes, she will be cremated and a memorial service held at a date to be announced later; but first, she and her husband are going to embark on a long-planned road trip across America. Another adventure awaits.