Ann B. Piper

Ann Bailey Piper

Obituary

Ann Bailey Piper of Gainesville, Georgia, age 84, passed away, Saturday, July 29, 2023, in Gainesville, Georgia, surrounded by her loving family, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s.

A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at A. S. Turner & Sons, Decatur, Georgia, on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 3:00 p.m.

Ann was born December 22, 1938, in Waverly Hall, Georgia, the eighth of eight children of Elbert Leon Bailey and Mary Proctor Bailey. As a very young child, she moved with her family to Atlanta, Ga. where She graduated from Hoke Smith High School, in the Grant Park area. She was proud of her Southern heritage and was considered a true Southern Belle.

While in high school, Ann met the love of her life, Daniel Piper.(66 years) Their life together was family centered. They always worked as a team in providing opportunities for the family and grounding them in their Christian faith. They were blessed with a daughter, Vickie Spratling and a son, Charles (Danny) Piper and four grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Being sports lovers, they attended all of the grandchildren’s sporting events, with Granny dressed in all of the team’s regalia and one of the most passionate fans. Wonderful memories were also made with the family from their beach vacations and travels together.

In addition to her family, Ann also worked all of her life and finished her career at the Bailey family business, Our-Way, Inc. In Tucker, Ga. where she worked in Human Resources for over 20 years.

Ann and Daniel were part of the “rock and roll” era. One of their favorite pastimes was with Elvis Presly music. They were avid fans, attending his concerts when he was in the area and share one of the largest collections of Elvis’s memorabilia. In addition to Elvis, they were avid sports fans. Ann played tennis into her 80’s with the Northeast GA Tennis Association’s 55+ team.

Ann was known for her “sparkle” in personality and style. She could be very “feisty” in cheering for the Tech’s Rambling Wrecks in her Georgia Tech regalia. She never did anything halfway, she was all in! Her sparkle included her dress, sparkly earrings, sparkly nails and sparkly tennis shoes.

The Pipers were great entertainers. Ann loved to have family over on weekends where there would be good food, and lots of music and dancing in the family playroom. There was Rook and Canasta card playing, along with table tennis with brothers and sister=in-laws that went on all night until the sun came up. Ann was very competitive and did not like to lose.

Included in her achievements, Ann was a master gardener, she loved working in her home garden and brought great enjoyment to her family and friends with gifts of plants and her abundant floral arrangements.

Mrs. Piper is survived by her husband, Daniel Piper, her daughter Vickie Spratling and her husband, Philip Spratling, her son, Charles (Danny) Piper, and four grandchildren, Andrew Spratling and Cailen Piper, Kacy Martin and Josh Martin,. Charles (Chase) Piper and Bailey Piper, and two great granddaughters, Dylan Spratling and Tristan Spratling.

Also surviving her is her sister Dr. Audrey B. Morgan and numerous nieces and nephews. Brothers and sisters predeceasing her were William Leon Bailey, Margaret Moore Robinson, Dr. M. Bobbie Bailey, Roy Terrell Bailey, Floyd Lee Bailey, and Arnold Ray Bailey

In keeping with Mrs. Piper’s wishes, her family has asked that memorial contributions be made to: Emory University, designated for the Bobbie Bailey Alzheimer's Disease Research Endowment Fund. Gifts may be sent by mail to: Office of Gift Accounting, Emory University, 1762 Clifton Road NE, Suite 2400, M/S 0970-001-9AA, Atlanta, GA 30322; via web: https://together.emory.edu/give; or by phone at 404-712-GIVE (4483).