Anita Myers Hollingsworth

Anita Hollingsworth passed peacefully on November 29, 2023, in Williamsburg, VA. She was born in Rockingham County, VA on June 8, 1937. At the age of three, her family moved to Virginia Beach, VA where she lived her entire life until remarrying in 2005. She is predeceased by her first husband, George Sanderlin and by her second husband, Lt. Cdr. James Welton, USN, retired; and parents, S. Blair and Pauline H. Myers, long-time teachers in the Virginia Beach School system.

She is survived by her husband, Colonel J. Bryce Hollingsworth, USAF retired; son, Kevin Sanderlin and his wife April of Elizabeth City, NC; plus her daughter Jodi Mills and her husband John Mills of Mebane, NC. Also, her stepdaughter Brenda Haverly and husband Gregg Haverly; two step-grandchildren, Andrew Wells and Colleen Corbett; plus Great-grand-daughter Hazel, all of Texas; stepson Scott Hollingsworth and wife Cora; and three step-grandchildren, Neal, Erica, and Floyd; plus step-great-granddaughter Zoey, all of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Anita attended Oceana School from the first grade through the ninth grade and finished her last three years at Virginia Beach High School. She was selected Beach Bowl Queen by the football team in 1955. Also, that same year, she was selected to represent the area as an attendant to the Norwegian Princess in the second annual Azalea Festival in Norfolk, VA. She was active in sports, being Co-Captain of the Cheerleading Squad and Co-Captain of the Girl's Basketball Team. Throughout her entire life, Anita valued her many friendships, and stayed in touch with her friends from school, work, and the neighborhoods in which she lived.

In the early 1970's, Anita worked in the offices of local physicians in Virginia Beach. Liking the work so well, for the next year she studied on her own in the evenings and in June 1975 in Richmond, VA she sat alone for the all-day exam of the American Association of Medical Assistants, Inc. Certification program (AAMA) a national, state, and local organization for medical assistants working in physician's offices. She earned her certification in the specialty of Administrative, and later, also in the specialty of Clinical. She received a Certified Medical Assistant-Administrative Certificate and led an evening’s workshop for many other medical assistants seeking their credentials. She then applied to nursing school and earned her State LPN license, and worked in medical offices in Virginia Beach for twenty years.

Upon retirement, Anita thoroughly enjoyed traveling the world with her husband Bryce, visiting every continent but Antarctica. Although he had been to many countries throughout his Air Force and civilian careers, he still loved to travel and showed her the world in grand style. Anita was very appreciative of the opportunities he afforded her, as she felt traveling was an education in itself. She will be sorely missed by her extended family and many friends.

A Celebration of Life memorial will be held at Patriots Colony At Williamsburg on December 20, 2023 at 10:00am. For inurnment, she will join her husband, Colonel Bryce Hollingsworth upon his passing, in a private ceremony at the USAF Academy cemetery.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.NelsenWilliamsburg.com