Anne Cobb Smith Weatherford, former first lady of Berea College and widow of Willis D. Weatherford, Jr., died in Black Mountain, North Carolina, Tuesday evening, June 7, 2016.
Many will recall that when Willis Weatherford became the 6th president of Berea College in 1967, Anne Weatherford became an integral part of the community, endearing herself to faculty, staff, and students alike with her gentle manner and soft-spoken words as she lived out the two great commandments enunciated by Jesus: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind….and you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-40).
After President Weatherford’s retirement in 1984, Mrs. Weatherford frequently visited Berea College until declining health in recent years prevent her from doing so. The Berea College Trustees passed a resolution in Fall of 2008 to permanently recognize the extraordinary vision and efforts of President Weatherford in establishing the Campus Christian Center. The following Spring, Mrs. Weatherford, her children and extended family came to campus for a ceremony designating that from this time forward the Center shall be known as the “Willis D. Weatherford, Jr. Campus Christian Center.”
A memorial service for Mrs. Weatherford will be held at St. James Episcopal Church in Black Mountain on June 18th.