Anna Vivian Hassell Swanston

Anna Vivian Hassell was the youngest of four daughters born to Emile and Amelia Hassell on December 25th, Christmas Day, 1926, in Harlem, New York.

She married William Ernest Swanston, a musician, in New York, on October 21st, 1945 . They were blessed with two daughters, Leslie Ann Swanston, deceased as a child, and Stephenie Swanston Thioubou.

She had an incredible work ethic, inspired no doubt by her Caribbean immigrant parents and always had multiple businesses. During her 25 year tenure with the City of New York’s Water Department, she owned her own company, Metropolitan Teen Tours, did contract service jobs, sold product lines and completed her undergraduate degree. She left the City’s employ to become a hospital administrator at both Harlem and Jacobi Hospitals in New York. She was, at that same time, a tax accountant, and a real estate broker with her own office, Stephanna Real Estate and employees. Later she returned to academia to earn a Masters Degree in Philosophy at the College of New Rochelle, and subsequently taught at the college. Three days after retiring, she left for what would be a life changing trip to Egypt. It was on this trip she would meet Dr. John Henrik Clarke and become his secretary for the following 13 years. That partnership led to her writing her first book, Dr. John Henrik Clarke: His Life, His Words, His Works, which was nominated for an award. Her second book was her autobiography titled An Examined Life. When she passed she was working on two other books, The Neglected Pages of History, and With Four Little Words. She unfortunately lost her sight before they could be completed.

As a single mother in the South Bronx, she had a baby grand piano in her living room (once graced by Thelonius Monk himself), kept a pedigreed boxer, drove a Jaguar, and sent her daughter to sleep-away camp in the summers that they didn’t rent a summer cabin with the aunts and cousins. She maintained accounts at the best Fifth Avenue stores, and her daughter studied ballet at Julliard. Social, fashionable, and creative, she loved painting and was producing canvases until her late 80’s at the Bowden Senior Citizens Center in East Point, GA.

Active in the Civil Rights movement, she attended the historic March on Washington and the Million Womens’ March with many, many others in between. Through the years, she served in civic and cultural organizations such as The Pro-To Society and WADU (West Africa Diaspora Union). She studied African history with First World in New York and ASCAC in Atlanta.

She believed in travel and true to her Afro-Caribbean heritage, she took her daughter to Ghana in 1972, her grandson and daughter to Egypt in 1987, her grandson to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon in 1995, and her daughter and both grandchildren on a multi-island family tour in 1998. She made it possible for her granddaughter to travel to Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico, and Costa Rica. In between, there were stateside trips as well as her solo trips to Brazil, London, and Paris.

Anna Swanston was preceded in death by her daughter Leslie Anne Swanston, Her three sisters Pearl Holder, Eileen White and Beryl Wiley, her nephews Stephen White, Robert White, Kenneth Wiley, Paul Wiley, Charles Holder, her niece Marlene Nathan, and her ex-husband, William Swanston.

She is survived by her daughter Stephenie Swanston Thioubou, her grandson Brandt Kamal Swanston, her granddaughter Ndeye Anna Marieme Thioubou, her nieces Lorraine Holder and Candace White, a host of grand, great grand and great great grand nieces and nephews, cousins, family, friends, as well as the many people she inspired.

A celebration of her life and repast will be held on Sunday, June 26th at 4pm at Blue Mark Studios, 892 Jefferson St. NW Atlanta, GA 30318.

Those unable to attend in person may attend via Zoom.

Topic: Anna Swanston - Celebration of Life

Time: Jun 26, 2022 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us05web.zoom.us/j/88927459474?pwd=RzZQRm8weTlZNXZPZVFEdXVkTVBZUT09

Meeting ID: 889 2745 9474

Passcode: E8APKw

The family of Anna Swanston wishes to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Affinity Hospice Care - in particular, Jared, Kady, Robin, Samantha, and Tara.