Walda Stearns Abner

Walda S. Abner (Maiden name Stearns) passed in comfort and complete peace at Hospice Atlanta on Saturday, 9 December 2017, after a brief serious illness which was complicated by Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 81 years old.

Walda was a native of Atlanta, daughter of Clifford Troupe Stearns (d. 1974) and Evelyn Sims Stearns (d. 1989). She was a nearly life long resident of the city too, with historical roots in Atlanta going back several generations, including the Cheshire family, for which Cheshire Bridge Road was named, and her maternal Grandfather, Walter A. Sims, who was a two term Mayor of Atlanta, as well as a State Senator. She was also preceded in death by her brother Walter Sims Stearns.

Walda is survived by her three children, her grandson, several cousins, and a great number of dear, true friends, some from childhood, and many more from her days at old North Fulton High School, right in the middle of Buckhead, and from her time at college in Florida.

Walda enrolled at Florida State University after high school and became a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, where she made many more lifelong friends. She also met her future husband and father of her three children, David A. Abner (Dave), while attending Florida State. They married after his graduation, and shortly thereafter, Dave became a U.S. Navy Aviator, so Walda made many more lifelong friends from her years as a “Navy Wife”. Though Walda and Dave divorced many years ago, they always maintained a nice friendship, with much respect for one another, and they always kept a united, loving effort going with the raising of their children. She is survived by him.

Walda loved life, simply everything with living and having fun; the only greater love she had was for her children, and especially for her grandson, Jake. She was very creative, enjoyed sewing and gardening, was always in the middle of reading a good book, and adored good conversations with her friends and family. Walda also loved to travel, especially with friends so as to share the fun and excitement of adventure.

Walda was very socially active throughout her life, with memberships in several well known groups and societies, most notable being her membership in “Who’s Who of Atlanta” where she eventually even served as President of the organization.

Walda was an excellent homemaker for much of her younger life, but years later, she also found great satisfaction in working for a living. First with a great job in a busy medical practice, then when her Mother passed, Walda took over the responsibilities of running Sims Realty Company, a business founded by her maternal grandfather, Walter A. Sims, where she did an excellent job of managing the company until it was dissolved in 2014.

Walda did not wish to have any sort of traditional funeral or memorial service, however, she definitely wanted everyone she knew and loved to attend the Celebration of Life Gathering being held for her at Portofino Restaurant in Buckhead on Saturday 6 January 2018 from 12:00 to 3:00 in the afternoon.

The family respectfully asks, in lieu of flowers, that a donation be made in Walda’s name to either The American Cancer Society (cancer.org), or The Alzheimer’s Foundation (alzfdn.org), or to Hospice Atlanta (vnhs.org).

They say true wealth comes from the amount of love and friendship one experiences in life,and by that measure, Walda was tremendously wealthy indeed. She will be greatly missed by many.