Virginia Ann Willis was born on Oct. 3, 1933 in Tullahoma, the second of four daughters of Margaret (Dryden) and Burr Willis. Sisters Martha, Sara and Linda were complemented by five brothers, Horace, Tommy, Bud, Tykie and Beau. Family was central throughout their lives.

Ann married her high school sweetheart, Buddy Martin (James E.) in 1955. They had two sons, Dave and Steve. Ann and Buddy were married 69 years primarily residing in Nashville from 1965 until their respective deaths in 2025. Buddy passed on Jan. 8, 2025 and Ann followed him to Heaven from hospice care ten months later on Nov. 15.

Ann had a gift for bringing out the best in people and for seeing the best in everyone around her. As her brother Bud Willis wrote about her, “If my mother ever came close to getting it just right, it would have been with Ann. She was the youngest of Mama’s three Depression era children, and the enormous wake she left behind at Tullahoma High made it much easier for her next three siblings to draft behind her. Ann was the epitome of what a role model should be, and her teachers loved her. More than a beautiful girl with a magnetic personality, she was a natural and competent leader. Open and honest, she was trustworthy to the core and faithful to her friends and to her beliefs. If Ann loved you, she loved you warts and all and she loved you forever. Named Miss Tullahoma at the age of 17, she was the kind of sister that every young boy would love to have, and she set the academic bar very high.” These same traits were also passed along to her two sons.

Ann is survived by her sons, her sister Linda Willis and brothers Bud Willis and Beau Willis, four grandsons, Ryan, Eric, Marty and Dillon Martin, her niece Alicia Willis Myatt, and nephews Jimmy Lance Willis, George Thrower, Kirk Willis, Kevin Willis, Dave Reichenau and Ben Reichenau, along with three great grandchildren and a host of extended family.

She passed away peacefully and danced her way into Heaven looking forward to a Heavenly reunion with those who preceded her.

Services will be held by Zoom at a date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your favorite charity or to Alive Hospice, 1718 Patterson Street, Nashville, TN. 37203.

Tullahoma News – Nov. 26, 2025