Ann Marshall McCants

On the morning of Friday, July 3, 2026, at the age of 87 (and a half, as she was proud of saying), Ann Carol Marshall McCants passed through the gates of heaven into her Father’s house as her beloved granddaughter, Stephanie, was next to her as she did so.

She was born on Friday, November 4, 1938, in the Elgin community of Lancaster, SC.  Ann was a proud graduate of the University of South Carolina and held a master's degree from Francis Marion University. She taught for nearly 40 years, spending most of her career teaching middle school math. She adored the challenge of working with kids that age and loved that math always had a nice, tidy solution when so many things in life did not.

Ann spent over half a century as a member of Central United Methodist Church in Florence, SC. To say that she was a good and faithful servant of Christ and the church would be an understatement. From serving in her church's Stephen Ministry to building beds for children and traveling internationally on mission trips, she was a servant of God with a faith in Him that many could only hope to have a sliver of.

Ann traveled the world, visiting every continent except either of the arctics. She bartered with pantyhose in Russia, broke her leg hiking in Aruba, and had been spit on by a camel in Egypt. Her favorite trips were always to the North Carolina mountains with Stephanie and her lifelong friend, Anna, where shopping, cups of coffee on the deck each morning, and the simple moments together became the secrets of life, and where Stephanie learned the value of lasting friendship.

Though Ann had many blessings in life, for which she was always grateful, her life was not without personal challenges, from losing her father shortly after she married to the passing of her son at the age of 38. She had a steely determination, strengthened by her faith, and was often known to say, "This too shall pass." You see, nothing was going to stop Ann. She was determined to do the things she wanted, or needed, to do, whether she was dealing with a failing gallbladder or losing her ability to walk, all while trusting that God would carry her through. Even in the final months of her life, she was determined to make the most of every moment she was given. And she did.

When Ann entered the gates of Heaven, she was welcomed by her parents, Charles Givens Marshall and Iva Elvaree Bailey Marshall, as well as her beloved son, Blaine Clark McCants Jr. She was also reunited with her brothers, Dr. Charles S. Marshall, Jack Marshall, and James Marshall, who were surely waiting to welcome the little sister they all adored. Ann is survived by her daughter, Vera Ellyn (Lynn) McCants; her granddaughter, Stephanie F. McNama; her great-grandchildren, Kenneth W. Parman III, Brooke A. Parman, Hayley E. Parman, and Connor R. Parman and great great granddaughter Addyson Grace Bundy.

A service celebrating Ann's life will be held on Sunday, July 12, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in the sanctuary of Central United Methodist Church in Florence, South Carolina. Her family invites you to wear Ann's favorite color, red, or any bright, cheerful colors as we celebrate her well-lived life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that, if you are attending the service, you bring school supplies to be donated in Ann's honor. If you are unable to attend, please consider donating school supplies to your favorite public school or public school teacher as a tribute to her lifelong dedication to education.

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