Lee Anderson Thompson

With family by her side, Effie Lee Anderson Thompson joined the Lord on Monday, July 28, 2025. In her many years on this Earth, she went by many names, including but not limited to Effie, Lee, Mom, Mother, Mama, Memaw, and will forever be known as The Granny GOAT (Greatest Of All Time). She will be loved and missed by all. Lee was born on Thursday March, the 25 th to be exact, to Clarence and Ruby Anderson. Throughout her life she never truly let it be known what year it was, but sources say 1937. She grew up on a farm in rural Mt. Airy, Georgia with her 13 siblings, working hard, picking cotton, and loving her family and God. Although they were not wealthy in a monetary sense, Lee and her family had all they needed, something that defined the life that she led. Lee worked for everything she had in life and generously shared it with everyone She shared this life with her one and only husband of 62 years, Bill Thompson, and their three children Donna, Billy, and Sonya. To say she was a devoted mother would be an understatement. Her role as a mother would define her entire being. Every ounce of her love and energy was poured into her family, which is represented today by the strength and devotion of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She was a southern belle who worked for Southern Bell, a company that would eventually become AT&T. Working in business system sales, she earned multiple awards and even earned the business of Jimmy Buffet. This not only helped her provide for her family but also helped hone her iconic and notable “telephone voice.” No matter the emotion she was feeling, when she picked up the phone, her cheerfulness and love could be heard by all on the other side of that receiver. When she wasn’t working or on the phone with friends sharing the latest bit of friendly gossip, Lee could be found cooking anything and everything from crème de menthe brownies to salmon patties to meatloaf. Home cooked meals were abundant in her household and Thanksgiving was a culinary event, often involving weeks of preparation. She could also be found at her beloved stand up piano, playing beautiful music full of self-taught masterpieces. She also enjoyed antique shopping, which often led to rearranging the living room to feature one more piece of elegant furniture. If you checked the kitchen and piano but still couldn’t find her, then chances are she was playing cards, whether it be solitaire, crazy eights with her grandchildren, or continuing her long-standing gin rummy rivalry with her husband when they weren’t teaming up to dominate the local bridge scene. Along with her husband, Lee now joins her parents, her brothers Joe, John, Paul, Simon and Harold, and her sisters Kathleen, Sue, Lou Ellen, Martha, and Judy in the afterlife. She is finally reunited her youngest daughter, Sonya. She can once again drink coffee with Jon and be amongst the friends she has lost along the way. Her memory and legacy live on through her brothers James, David, and Daniel, her daughter Donna, her son Billy, his spouse Felly, her grandchildren William and Kenny, their spouses Kate and Laura respectively, and her great grandchildren Madison, Whitaker, and Zelina . No amount of time will truly lessen the heartache and sorrow left by Lee’s departure. Her spirit and being was the embodiment of love, and although our hearts ache now, we are left with an endless supply of fond memories and stories on which we can rely when we are missing her the most. Lee’s immediate family invite you to join the celebration of her life on Saturday, August 16, 2025, at Mayes Ward funeral home, located in the beautiful and historic Marietta Square, 180 Church Street. Come by anytime between 3:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon, say hello, share a memory, or a nice warm hug. The memorial service will begin at 4:00 pm, so please feel free to stay for that as well. Graveside service will be 12:30 PM Monday August 18th at Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, GA. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you share a kind memory or donate to the Salvation Army.

Lee Anderson Thompson

March 25, 1937 - July 28, 2025