Priscilla Ann Donna Sanderlin, 88, of Moyock, North Carolina died on August 28, 2024, with her husband by her side, in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Nursing Home. Born in Sheldon Springs, Vermont on January 1, 1936, she was the daughter of the late Roy and Ellen (Demar) Donna.

Ann was the seventh of nine children and she had a happy childhood, living in a friendly mill town. The Donna family were popular with the local Sheldon Springs community, actively involved in charity work and supporting their Catholic church. Helping others and serving the Lord remained a lifelong attribute of Ann’s.  She graduated from St Mary’s Catholic School in St Albans, Vermont. She had been secretary of the class of ‘53 where she was described as “healthy looking, dependable, and cooperative.” At a 50 year class reunion in 2003, she was characterized as the “most friendly” graduate. Ann was a loyal and devoted friend to many, throughout her long life.

After graduating from secretarial college, Ann moved to St Albans. She used her considerable secretarial skills in volunteer roles, such as secretary of many PTA committees in various schools. She worked successfully for a number of companies, retiring from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA.

In 1953, while enjoying the life of a bachelorette, she met the love of her life, USAF Staff Sgt “Buck” Sanderlin from North Carolina. They married at St Anthony’s Catholic Church, in Sheldon Springs on September 4, 1954. The marriage was blessed with a daughter, Vicky and three sons, Jim, Tom and Bill. Ann lived at various times in Vermont, North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama and Mississippi. Each location was an opportunity to establish a loving home and new friendships. Ann remained devoted to Buck for over 70 years. She adored their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Get-togethers with family and friends brought joy to her life. Ann was a collector of Vermont memorabilia, cows, angels, and tea pots. She would often bequeath an item to a staunch admirer of one of her collections. Foreign travel was another interest of hers. Ann visited Canada, England, Wales, Scotland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Italy, where she attended a Mass delivered by Pope Benedict XVI. Her favourite location was France, her ancestral home, where she delighted in being addressed in French, the mother tongue of her parents.

Ann made the world a brighter place by embracing her own neurodiversity. She founded and chaired Mental Health Support groups in Virginia and North Carolina. She provided both psychological and practical support for many, believing in the goodness of people and having a positive view of the future.

Left to cherish Ann’s memory are her husband of 69 years, James Allen (Buck) Sanderlin, Sr of Moyock, NC;  a daughter Vicky Sanderlin-McLoughlin (Allan), of Rutland, England, three sons Jim (Carla) Sanderlin of Currituck, NC,  Tom (Pat) Sanderlin of Southlake, TX and Bill (Elizabeth White) Sanderlin of Moyock, NC; grandchildren Brian (Jessalyn) Sanderlin of Colleysville, TX, Cara (Joey) Delia  of Currituck, NC, Kristi Sanderlin of Southlake, TX, Jason Sanderlin of Suffolk, VA, Siobhan (Eric VandeLinde) McLoughlin of Cockeysville, MD, Heather McLoughlin of Lincolnshire, England, Hayden Sanderlin of Currituck, NC; and 8 great-grandchildren, Ami Sanderlin, Aaron Delia, Ava Sanderlin, Riley Sanderlin, Madison Sanderlin, Mila Sanderlin, Mason Sanderlin, and Katerina VandeLinde; a sister, Marguerite (Jim) Messier of Sheldon Springs, VT.  She was predeceased by her sisters, Lillian Reed and Theresa Gendreau, her brothers, Gordon, Ronald, Albert, Arthur (Sonny/Cy) and Paul Donna. 

A Funeral Mass will be held for Ann Sanderlin on Friday, October 4, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. in St Katharine Drexel Catholic Church 154 Maple Road, Maple, NC 27956.

Memorials can be made in her name to the American Alzheimer’s Foundation.