Annie

Pressley

Annie Laura Brown Womack Pressley, a woman of quiet strength and profound wisdom, passed away peacefully on August 23, 2025, just shy of her 95th birthday. Born in Mobile, Alabama's historic Africatown (also known as Plateau) neighborhood on October 14, 1930, Annie was the daughter of Isaiah Brown and Anna Edwards Brown. She was a quiet force, a beacon of dependability and resilience who navigated life with an observant eye and a deeply non-judgmental heart. Annie's life was a testament to the power of a gentle spirit and the lasting legacy of a life lived with integrity and a smile. Her presence, while shying away from the spotlight, was a cornerstone for her family and community.

Raised in Africatown and baptised at Yorktown Missionary Baptist Church where her faith never wavered, Annie was deeply connected to her roots. She attended Mobile County Training School and carried her father's legacy as a church deacon with a quiet sense of pride. Her childhood was filled with the warmth of family, particularly the cherished Saturdays spent at her parents' home and the joy of helping her mother, a hairdresser, with special events like coloring Easter eggs for the church. Annie made sure her own children were always on time for Sunday School, dressing them in birth order and ensuring they walked to church together, a meticulous and loving act that underscored her disciplined and organized nature.

Annie's character defined her life more than any single accomplishment. She was intelligent, a good listener, and a person who always took responsibility. For 30 years, she worked at USA Hospital, retiring at the age of 72 as the supervisor of the custodial staff. Yet, her greatest passion lay in preserving the history of Africatown, a place she was so deeply connected to that her family believed their lineage stretched back to the community's early days. Annie embraced her heritage and believed in the strength of family and community. She found simple pleasures in watching her favorite TV shows, Magnum PI, In the Heat of the Night, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, and Survivor, and her attentiveness to detail was a quiet superpower that made her both a trusted confidante and a reliable presence in any situation.

She leaves to cherish her memory a sister Anna Marie Brown along with her loving children Jesse Womack (Alinda), Joe Womack, Jr., and Theona Dawson (Lawrence). Her twelve grandchildren, Edward Colbert (Nerico), Jesse Womack II, Richard Dawson (Renara), Joe Womack III (Kelly), Valerie King (Mark), Jared Singleton, Kari Singleton, Kenneth Stallworth Jr., Gerrell Stallworth (Ashley), Lynn Hollins II (Arielle), and Laura Hollins as well as a host of great nieces and nephews and great-grandchildren, will carry on her legacy of quiet strength and principled living. Annie was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Lavonia "Bone" Gowdy and Deloris "Dee" Greenwood, and her beloved children Portland Womack Stallworth, Lydia Womack Hollins, and Fisher Womack. While we mourn her passing, we celebrate a life well-lived—a life of fairness, strength, and unwavering love that will continue to inspire all who knew her.

A public visitation for Ms. Annie Pressley will be held on Friday, August 29, 2025 at Rice & Reese Funeral Home from 12:30 PM until 2:30 PM. The visitation will continue Saturday August 30, 2025 at the Yorktown Missionary Baptist Church at 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM funeral service hour. Interment will be held at the Gethsemane Cemetery on Mobile street.