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It is hard to accept that Anita Talbott has passed away, because she so obviously enjoyed being alive.
Anita Kendell Talbott, 72, of Elkins, West Virginia, died in the UF Health Hospital in The Villages, Florida, on Nov. 11, 2023, following a brief and very unexpected illness.
She was born Anita Carol Kendell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 17, 1951, to the late Nevin and Rachel (Martin) Kendell.
Throughout her life she also lived in North Tonawanda, New York, Findlay, Ohio, and Silver Spring, Maryland, before her family moved to Elkins in 1967.
Although as a teenager she did not appreciate the move from a big city area to small town West Virginia at first, she ultimately fell in love with the town, built a successful life, and was a powerful and beloved presence in the community right until her death. For the last several years, she has spent the winter months at a home she owned in the Florilow Oaks community in Bushnell, Florida.
Anita graduated from Elkins High School in 1969 before studying education at Davis & Elkins College, and then obtaining a Master of Arts degree from West Virginia University. She spent more than 25 years as a beloved special education teacher at Harman School in Harman, West Virginia.
As a teacher, she was also an active supporter of the school's band, athletics, and other clubs, because it was important to her that students at the small rural school have all of those opportunities.
She assisted with the Special Olympics program that served Randolph County students, which she continued well after retirement.
Anita was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Elkins, and the local chapter of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority.
Anita lived an incredibly full and active life, filled with traveling with her sister and with friends, biking in West Virginia, kayaking in Florida with friends, enjoying live music whenever possible (especially that of her son), and supporting numerous important organizations in Elkins and elsewhere. She towed her own small camper anywhere she wanted to camp, whether it was out to Stuart Park, around the mid-Atlantic with friends, in Delaware with her daughter, or all the way down to Florida for her winter months spent there. Her most valued role in life was as a grandmother, and she traveled often to see her grandchildren and support their pursuits in sports and the arts. She made it a priority to help her grandchildren spend time together with each other, and their time at her house was dubbed "Cousin Camp."
In addition to working as a substitute teacher (in between her travels!) well past retirement, she was an active volunteer with Special Olympics West Virginia and the Impact Children's Museum. She will be most remembered for her boundless optimism, her willingness to help anyone she could, her brave spirit, and her countless adventures.
Her daughter, Susan (Mark) Guiteras of Magnolia, Delaware; her son, Allen Talbott of Elkins, West Virginia; her step-daughter, Denise (John) Leak of Woodstock, Georgia; and her sister, Jennifer (Jack) Swan of Cedar Park, Texas, deeply mourn her unexpected passing.
She is also survived by four grandchildren, Jadyn Talbott-Boord, Allison Guiteras, Lillian Guiteras and Amos Talbott; four step-grandchildren, Lauren (Tim) Cibene, Bethany (Chad) Reaves, Ethan Leak and Joshua Leak; and one step-great-granddaughter, Saylor Reaves.
She is also missed by many cousins and their families, nephews Danny and Nick Swan, the extended family she shared with her former husband, the late David Talbott, and countless friends in both West Virginia and Florida, and around the country.
A Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday, Dec. 16, at 3 p.m. from the Elkins First Baptist Church at 412 Randolph Ave., in Elkins.
The family will receive visitors at the church from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
A second memorial will be held in Bushnell, Florida, in January.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Anita's memory can donate in her name to The Old Brick Playhouse, the Elkins YMCA, Special Olympics West Virginia, Interact Children's Museum, First Baptist Church of Elkins, or any other local charity that serves children or the arts.
Her spirit was, indeed, powerful enough to live on forever in the hearts of the many loved ones she leaves behind.