Annette J. Champion

Mrs. Annette J. Champion, 90, died Friday, May 16, 2025, at her home in Oxford, Mississippi. The funeral will be Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 11:00 A.M. at Oxford-University United Methodist Church with Rev. Chris McAlilly officiating. Visitation will be held Monday, May 19, 2025, from 4:00 P.M. until 6:00 P.M. in West Hall of Waller Funeral Home, and again on Tuesday, prior to the service beginning at 10:00 A.M. at the church. Burial will follow the service in Oxford Memorial Cemetery.

Annette was born on March 21, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, to the late Ruth Gregory and Lawrence Arnold Johnston. An Academic Advisor for the Ole Miss Rebels Football Team, she was passionate not just about Ole Miss Sports, but about each and every player entrusted to her. Her guidance, encouragement, and love welcomed them all, creating many lifelong friendships among her family and the athletes. Annette and her husband, William, often hosted dinners for the Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Team, becoming a home away from home for many.

A longtime resident of Oxford, Annette served on the Alumni Board of Kappa Delta Sorority, taught many private piano lessons through the years, and relished any opportunity to play bridge with her dear friends. A member of Oxford-University United Methodist Church, her smiling face was a fixture at every service and countless events. She was always volunteering her time in service to the church and cherished the friendships she held there.

She and William loved hosting dinner parties for friends, remaining close with the core group they’d met while he was in law school. Annette and William shared a mutual love of travel, going on many adventures throughout their 52 years of marriage. When their children were young, they made wonderful memories traveling all across the United States in their camper, going as far as Alaska. Many of these memories are laced with Annette’s lifelong love of music and the beautiful voice she paired with it. She sang often and with abandon, finding joy in the gift of song. Most of all, Annette deeply loved and cherished her children and beloved grandchildren. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, William M. Champion and their two sons, James Lawrence Champion and John Champion.

Annette is survived by her daughter, Laura Champion Hall of Decatur, Georgia; brother, Charles Arnold Johnston of Tupelo, Mississippi; six grandchildren, Brittney Champion, Kelli Champion, Sara Hall, Annette Hall, Grace Hall, and Jackson Hall; and two great-grandchildren.

The family extends a special thanks to her caregivers and beloved friends, Gina McCormick and Polly Wren.

Expressions of sympathy or memorial contributions in Annette’s memory may be made to Alzheimer’s Association Mississippi Chapter, Post Office Box 456, Ridgeland, Mississippi 39158.