Ann Likens

Ann Marie (Lovett) Likens, 54, of Oak Ridge, formerly of Hornbeak, died May 23, 2022, at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville following a battle with acute myeloid leukemia.
A private memorial service will be held Saturday morning at Reelfoot Lake for immediate family. A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday from 3-5 p.m. at Troy Senior Center for extended family and friends.
She was born Feb. 27, 1968, the daughter of Dwight Lovett of Troy and the late Sandria Lovett of Hornbeak and the stepdaughter of Judy Lovett of Troy.
She graduated valedictorian from Obion County Central High School in 1986 and earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 1991. She worked at the Oak Ridge labs for more than 30 years, most recently for Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC. She accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior at Hornbeak Church of Christ and attended Hardin Valley Church of Christ in Knoxville.
She volunteered for the Big Brother/Big Sister program and for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in Oak Ridge, the latter of which she served as president and treasurer, tutored and helped establish a Girls in Science program.
She is also survived by her son, Seth Likens of Memphis; four sisters and their spouses, Donna (Lovett) and Jay Ryder and Lonna (Lovett) and Pete Kennedy, all of Union City, Sonyia (Lovett) and Mark Staples of Hornbeak and Tonyia (Lovett) and Tim Johnson of Stockbridge, Ga.; six nephews, Sheldon and his wife, Cedena, Miller, Nick Miller and his fiancee, Micah Emery, and her daughter, Maddilyn Rae Emery, Jonathan Ryder and Matthew Ryder, all of Union City; Donte Jordan of Sharpsburg, Ga., and Karl Jordan of Stockbridge; three nieces and the spouse of one, Kayla (Miller) and Justin Quillions of Obion and Grace Kennedy and Hope Kennedy, both of Union City; three grandnephews, Titus Jordan of Stockbridge, Thomas Eugene Mac Quillions of Obion and Beowulf Falcon Onyx Miller of Union City; a stepsister and her husband, Youvonne and Keith Morrow of Owen, Wis.; a stepniece and her husband, Amanda (Morrow) and Elmer Nolt of Withee, Wis.; two stepgrandnieces, Emily Nolt and Katie Nolt, both of Withee; Derek Adamson, whom she considered her “work son” and his wife, Amanda, of Knoxville; and her granddaughter-in-love, Zoe Adamson of Knoxville.
She was also preceded in death by her grandparents, D’Nichols and Naomi Cole of Wynnburg and Virtle and Roxie Lovett of Hornbeak.
The family requests memorials be made to the American Cancer Society.

Published in The Messenger 7.25.22