Annabelle Thompson Kilgore was born May 3, 1924, in Helena, Arkansas, to Willie P. and Callie Lacey Thompson. The family moved to Gary, Indiana, where Annabelle spent most of her childhood. On August 22, 1948, she married Shirley Franklin Kilgore, and they had one daughter, Joyce Evelyn Kilgore.

She attended Tuskegee Institute (now University). While at the Institute, she sang with the Tuskegee Institute Choir under the direction of the renowned Dr. William L. Dawson. Through much of her life, she remained active with the Alumni Choir. Kilgore attended Indiana and Roosevelt universities and received a B.A. in Elementary Education from Roosevelt University in 1959. She received a master's degree in Education from Roosevelt University in 1965 and a master's in Counseling and Guidance from Purdue and Roosevelt universities in 1973.

From 1960 to 1972, Kilgore was an elementary school teacher with the city schools of Gary, Indiana, and from 1972 to 1979 she worked as a guidance counselor at Emerson High School in Gary. She retired from the Indiana School System in 1979 and moved to College Park, Georgia. For three years, she operated her photography studio "Color Art Photography." She then joined the Atlanta Public Schools system and worked for four years until her retirement in 1986.

Kilgore was involved in numerous professional and community organizations. She received recognition for her service in many organizations and for excellence in her work -- whether teaching, counseling, or photography. One of the most important activities in her life was her involvement with the New Life Presbyterian Church in Atlanta.

She passed away on July 8, 2006.