Anne Tucker Cress Babb

Anne Tucker Cress Babb, 86, of Kingsport passed away peacefully into Eternal Rest on March 30, 2014.

Born in Appalachia, VA in 1927, she received a B.S. degree from Maryville College, Maryville, TN. Upon graduation, she became the first woman chemist at Enka Labs in Morristown and subsequently worked for Eastman Chemical.

Anne married her husband of 60 years in 1953, and they made their home in Kingsport where they reared their two daughters. During that time she worked as a substitute teacher and several years for the State of Tennessee. Much of her life was centered around her church family at St. Matthew United Methodist Church. She served there in many capacities for over 50 years. In addition, she was very active as a volunteer in the Kingsport community. Anne had a great love for the beauty of nature and passed it along to her children and grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her father and mother, John and Flossie Cress.

She is survived by her husband, Hugh Babb; daughters Brenda McCroskey and Katherine Wust; son-in-law, Michael McCroskey; grandchildren, Eric Wust, Jon McCroskey, and Spencer Wust; sister, Betty Cornett; brother, Frank Cress and wife, Marilyn; and nieces and nephews, Stephanie Wright and husband, Eddie, John Cornett and wife, Joan, Mark Cornett and wife, Debbie, Carla Cornett, John Cress and wife, Michelle.

The family will receive friends on Friday, April 4, 2014 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at St. Matthew United Methodist Church in Kingsport. The funeral service will follow at 6:00 p.m. with the Reverend Ray Amos officiating.

A graveside service will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Union Temple United Methodist Church Cemetery in the Union Temple Community of Greene County, TN.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Matthew United Methodist Church, 2505 Nathan Street, Kingsport, TN 37664.