Anne Pepper (Wattles) Constantine, of Savannah, Georgia, 73, a retired teacher, reading specialist, and devoted servant of her Lord Jesus Christ, died on December 14, 2023, at Buckingham South Assisted Living in Savannah, Georgia. 

  Anne was born on January 19, 1950, in Charles Town, West Virginia.  Her parents were Walter Commons Wattles and Eugenia Kendall (Pepper) Wattles. “Anne Pepper” or “Anne Pep,” as her Father affectionately called her, lived the majority of her life in Atlanta, Georgia, until Anne and her husband Robert retired to his hometown of Savannah, Georgia. 

 Anne graduated from the Lovett School, in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1968. She attended Stratford College in Stratford, Virginia, graduated from the University of Georgia in 1972 with a degree in elementary education, and was an Orton-Gillingham trained reading specialist.

 Anne was Chaplain of the University of Georgia Chapter of the Phi Mu Fraternity, where she particularly enjoyed singing in their Washboard Band proudly wearing her cutoff bib jeans and red-checkered shirt. Anne was an avid tennis player at Bitsy Grant Tennis Center in Atlanta and an aspiring golfer, primarily so she could spend time playing golf with her husband, Robert, when he was not playing golf in the Blitz at the Savannah Country Club with his “Support Group that Drinks a lot.”

 Anne and her partner, Lewis Lay, were Champion Doubles partners on behalf of the Lovett School. Anne also loved playing tennis for many years with her wonderful doubles champions’ partners on what she called her “Ballbangers” ALTA Team. She and her doubles partner, Phil, were “Runners Up” of the 1975 “Cholly Cup” hosted by her Savannah/Atlanta friend Charlie Ellis. Her husband, Robert, steadfastly maintains that had it not been for the fact that the Cholly Cup Semi-finals were played on indoor courts at Tech, due to rain, instead of on the clay courts at Bitsy Grant, Anne and Phil would have been the “Cholly Cup Champions.”  Horrified onlookers on “both surfaces” gasped every time the 9 Month overdue Pregnant Anne raced to hit her shots, most of which she got.  Anne and her newborn son, Robert Paul, were there to accept her “Runners Up Cholly Cup Trophy” one week after he was born.

 Anne was a sustaining member of the “Junior League” of Atlanta, where she was on the precision team of Toy Soldiers in the Atlanta Junior League Follies, which her Savannah friends, Robbie and Eddie Culver, incredibly, were in the audience at the Fox Theater.  Anne and her dear departed friend, Lucy Irick, also were the “unsung heroine” Editors of the Atlanta Junior League’s “Cook and Lovett” Cookbook.  Anne’s good friend, and her son Robert Paul’s Godfather, John Barnett, used to kid Anne by saying she needed to work on improving her “bowling average” so she could advance to the “Senior League”.  

 Anne and Robert were Co-Chairs of the Cobb Children’s Theatre (CCT) for many years and Robert Paul, who is now a professional entertainer, starred as Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof” and played Doodie in “Grease” when its Director, Leslie Karstensen, turned to Robert and Anne, and said, “you know, when Robert is on stage you can’t look at anyone else.

  Anne and Robert were Founding Members of the Church of Apostles in Atlanta, where Anne was a Sunday School Teacher, a helper in the Nursery, a Small Group Leader, on the Prayer Team, and a Founding member and Coordinator of Apostles Stephen Ministry.  

 Anne also was Young Life Volunteer Leader in college when she was at the University of Georgia.  When she and her husband “Rob” moved to Atlanta in 1973 they became heavily involved in the ministry of Northwest Atlanta Young Life.  For those of you who now are wondering why Anne’s husband Robert is known as “Rob” in Atlanta Area Young Life Circles, it is an interesting story like so many others in their married life.  

 Anne had been a graduate of Young Life Metro Atlanta Area Director Mal McSwain’s Discipleship Course. In order to “introduce” her husband to Young Life, Anne and Robert were invited to go to a meeting of Young Life volunteer leaders at Mal and Wanda’s house.  Robert, as a new resident of Atlanta, of course, got lost.  It was “raining cats and dogs” on a very dark night.  By the Grace of God, they were not killed in a wreck and finally arrived at Mal and Wanda’s House as they were having a “closing prayer.” 

 As those of you who are familiar with Young Life Leadership Meetings know “closing prayers” often are quite long.  As they were standing on Mal and Wanda’s porch looking through the window at the meeting inside, with rainwater cascading right behind them off the roof, the ever-patient Anne was trying unsuccessfully to console her easily irritated husband, when the meeting was closing and everybody was getting up to leave.  When they went inside Mal saw Anne in the back of the room, told everyone to be quiet, yelled across the room and said, “Anne, what’s your husband’s name?” She said, “Robert!”  Mal then said, “Quiet everybody…I’d like you to meet Anne and “Rob” Constantine, they are our new Young Life Volunteer Leaders at Lovett, Westminster, Northside, North Fulton, and Woodward Academy!”

 Young Life has been a very important part of Anne and Robert’s family life for over 53 years.  The magic of Young Life, of course, is that while having a good time in its various activities, vulnerable teens and pre-teens become committed followers of Christ.  They do this through the relationships they develop with their Young Life Leaders, like Dave Brinsfield, Stuart Sonneland, Ben Lewis, and Todd Strickland.  Robert Paul went on trips to Disneyworld and Colorado. Rebecca was a Young Life Leader.  She and her cousin Catherine went on the Western Tour. Rebecca and her Father built houses in Mexico with Amor Ministries. Walter went on a mission trip to Africa where he helped Shelby and Georgia White’s son Adam “climb his last mountain.”

 Robert and Anne also were Co-Chairs of the Northwest Atlanta Young Life Committee and she was Chair of its Banquet Committee for many years.  Anne also was a Volunteer Leader, a “Campaigners” Bible Study Leader, a song leader, and on “Work Crew” at Trail West, in Buena Vista, Colorado, and at Windy Gap, in Weaverville, North Carolina.  

 Anne absolutely loved everything about Windy Gap.  She loved the “Mayor of Weaverville Skit”, the dancing of the “Faux Supremes” in their multi-colored wigs, The gathering of the cows and sheep or ducks on the first night of camp, and who can forget the video of “Hans and Franz’s Famous Cross Country Road Trip”, culminating with them coming down the zip line into the lake in front of the County Seat that was covered with a thin sheet of ice.

 Anne was predeceased by her parents, Deedee and Walter Wattles, her sister Louise Wattles Moreland, her cousin, Barrett Monday,  Travis Douglass, the son of her cousins, Bobby and Janie Douglass, her Uncle Dr. Waldo Mason Wattles, her Aunt Mary and Uncle Charles Monday, her Aunt “Pepper” and Uncle Bruce Douglass, her Grandmother Myrta Woodson Wattles, who was the director of food services at Vanderbilt University, her Grandmother Helen McDowell “Momsie” Pepper and Grandfather Carlton David Pepper, and her very special Great Aunt, Louise McDowell “Auntie Wese” Brown, and her Great Uncle Sandy Brown.  

 Anne is survived by her husband Robert Paul Constantine, Jr., her son Robert Paul Constantine III (Michele Karsk), her daughter Rebecca McDowell Constantine (Hunter Ross), her son Walter Wattles Constantine, his wife Elizabeth “Lib” Gray Constantine, her Grandsons Denver Walter Constantine and David Hayes Constantine, her Granddaughter Georgia Elizabeth Constantine, her niece, Catherine Adelaide Coleman (Taylor Seago), her nephew Ronald Hobson Coleman, her Sister Eugenia Portwood Wattles, her niece Laura Moreland Reynolds (Alex), her niece Sarah Moreland Sherman (Hans), several grand nieces and nephews, and  her “adopted grandsons”, Parks and Robson Harber.

The Constantine Family would like to thank Rita Slatus and Sabrina Rabhan of Buckingham South and their family, Anne’s marvelous caregivers there, Shawana, Lisa, Kim, Sandra, Ophelia, Gwen, Lenora. Vaida, Michelle, and “Ruby”, Buckingham South’s kind and gentle “therapy dog.”

The Constantine Family is also very thankful for her other caregivers, her friend, Wanda Tucker Brooks, now deceased, Tamika Sardes, the Staff of Hospice Savannah, and it’s dedicated volunteers, like their friend, Colonel John Broderick. Finally, the Constantine’s want to thank Anne’s dear friends, Art Chappell, John and Katy Plowden, Julie and Chip Humphrey, Julie “the Fair” McIntosh and Charlie Ellis, who have been so supportive of their Family during their “long goodbye” to Anne, whom her cousin Jim Forshaw aptly described “as one of the better people that God has put on this earth.” 

As Dr. Michael Youssef, the Founding Rector of the Church of Apostles in Atlanta, where Anne and Robert worshipped for so many years before retiring in Savannah, would say, “Amen Belongs Here!” 

In lieu of flowers and other remembrances donations can be made to Young Life Northwest Atlanta, P.O. Box 724731, Atlanta, GA 33139-1731 and to Christ Church Anglican 2020 Bull Street, Savannah, GA 31401 in Anne’s memory for the support of its Stephen’s Ministry.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 5, 2024 at Christ Church Anglican, 37th and  Bull Stree, Savannah, GA, 31401. Burial will be in Bonaventure Cemetery.