Marilyn Ann Sturdivant

Marilyn Ann Sturdivant, age 94, passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 19, 2025, at her home in Horseshoe Bay, Texas, surrounded by family. The funeral will be held at the Llano Cemetery in Amarillo, Texas, in a private burial ceremony. Ann will be laid to rest next to her husband, Wayne.

Ann was born on October 2, 1930, in Independence, Kansas, to Ted and Bertha Brady Marden, their only child. She was adored and cherished by all her aunts and uncles growing up. Ann attended Kansas University, and graduated from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, in 1950 with a degree in Childhood Education. Ann married the love of her life and childhood sweetheart, Wayne P. Sturdivant, on June 6, 1950. She was a dedicated mother to their five children, preparing meals for the family every evening and tending to all the bumps and bruises along the way. Ann was a very active member in the Amarillo community, teaching kindergarten, serving on the PTA board, participating as a leader for the Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops her children attended, and serving as a homeroom mother at various times for all five children. She was a member of the Symphony Guild, a participant in the Art Force, a docent at Herrington House, and a weekly reader to children at Young at Heart. Ann was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, where she served as an elder and deacon, taught Sunday school for over 20 years, and served as a Stevens Minister. Ann volunteered at the Craig Methodist sing-along program for nearly 20 years, playing the piano for the “Craig Choir,” and was a competitive tennis player, golfer, and snow skier. She loved playing bridge with her girlfriends, was an excellent gardener, an avid reader, an incredible cook, and a world traveler. With a beautiful singing voice and a natural inclination towards music, she always had music playing in the family home. In addition to all of these accomplishments, service projects, and hobbies, Ann exuded a deep religious faith and loved being with her family most of all. One of her favorite family gatherings was skiing at their cabin in Angel Fire, NM.

Ann was preceded in death by her parents, Ted and Bertha Brady Marden, her beloved husband, Wayne P. Sturdivant, in 2003, and her son-in-law, David Barber, in 2018. She is survived by her five children, Dr. Stephen Sturdivant of Little Rock, AR; Michael Sturdivant and wife, Maria Sturdivant, of Spicewood, TX; Susan Walston and husband, Bill Walston, of Gatesville, TX; Karan McKenzie of Plano, TX; and Stacey Sturdivant Barber of Lubbock, TX; 11 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

Our mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother was connected to more than just her beloved family. She cherished her childhood friends and those she met along the way while raising their families together. She taught her children the importance of kindness, friendship, unconditional love, and finding joy in the small things in life. Her legacy is to carry this forward simply, yet humbly, and to always move through life’s journey in the spirit of Christ. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Ann Sturdivant’s name to the Children’s Home of Amarillo.