Anita Heusser Atwood

Anita Heusser Atwood passed away on Thursday, 5 June 2014, at Friends Homes in Guilford College, where she had been a resident since 2008. Aged nearly 93, Nita had a long and productive life. She was born in the Bronx in New York City on 20 August 1921, the first child of Henry and Alice Heusser. The family moved to Brockton, Massachusetts, when she was a young girl and there she and her sister Charlotte grew up. She graduated from Westbrook College in Portland, Maine, where she trained as a medical secretary. She worked at Mount Holyoke College before marrying David A. Atwood in January 1944. They shared more than sixty years of life together, until his death in 2004. The war years meant moving around—to Pensacola, New Bern, and then finally back to Massachusetts. Then there were further family moves, from Springfield, MA, to Lansing, Michigan, to Charlotte and finally to Greensboro in 1962. Their family grown, Nita and David moved to Jamestown in 1989, a happy and wonderful time and space for them for nearly 15 years. Feisty, independent, often frustrated by the traditional roles expected of women of her generation, she devoted her life to being a generous and loving mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, neighbor, and friend. Her Toll House cookies, holiday meals, beautiful home and so much more pervade the memories of four generations. She raised her children with a strong sense of right and wrong, a curiosity about the world around them, and a commitment to the well-being of others. She dedicated much of her life to service to the community—as a den mother, school supporter, Red Cross volunteer (30 years), Sunday school teacher, Greensboro Charity League member, Westridge Gardener, meals-on-wheels provider, and volunteer a the Jamestown Library. Even at an advanced age, she undertook training as a Stephen Minister at the Jamestown Presbyterian Church where she and her husband were active members. She returned to regular employment in 1973, working at Guilford College and rising to become the Director of the Correspondence Center. After 22 years at Guilford College, she retired in 1995. She is survived by her four grateful children, David C. Atwood (Marie Hélène) of Geneva Switzerland, Joan Burns of High Point, Timothy Atwood (Gail) of Collinsville, Virginia, and Julie Dyste (Ted) of Edina, Minnesota, by her nephew , Steven A. Murphy, and her brother-in-law, Laurence Murphy, of Centerville, Massachusetts, by her 8 grandchildren (John, Jennifer, Hannah, Megan, Nels, Laura, Ethan and Zachary) and her 8 great grandchildren (Emma, Duncan, Ella, Cole, Lincoln, Louise, Evan and Davey). At peace at last, she will be greatly missed

A service of remembrance, thanksgiving, and celebration of this life well lived will be held on Monday, 23 June at 2.00 pm at Jamestown Presbyterian Church with the Reverend Newton Cowan officiating. A reception will follow the service.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Friends Homes at Guilford and the Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro for their compassionate care. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Jamestown Presbyterian Church, 1840 Guilford College Rd, Jamestown NC 27282 or Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro, 2500 Summit Avenue, Greensboro NC 27405.