Sylvia M. Anderson

BARRE – Sylvia Marie Anderson, 89, passed away on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at Central Vermont Medical Center with her loving daughter by her bedside.

Born on December 31, 1932, in Barre City, she was the daughter of Russell and Irene (Marsha) LaRochelle. She graduated from Spaulding High School in Barre, Vermont.

On June 27, 1953, she married her high school sweetheart, George Milfred Anderson. Together they had several homes in Central Vermont before moving to Fairlee where they lived for over 20 years. They later moved back to Barre to be closer to their growing family.

Sylvia volunteered at the Barre City Hospital and as a nursing-home assistant before becoming a homemaker.

She attended St. Monica Catholic Church and was a member of the Barre Country Club, Fairlee Country Club, and the Pinehurst Country Club in North Carolina.

In her leisure time, she enjoyed collecting antiques, refinishing old furniture, oil painting, stenciling, cooking, making stained glass, watching jeopardy, reading novels, completing crosswords, home decorating, admiring Japanese art, and traveling. Most of all, she really loved nature – especially mushrooming, hunting, fishing, and looking at wildflowers and birds. She valued spending time with her family, her children, and her husband. She took pride in her always pristine home and her perfectly manicured gardens.

Those who were close with Sylvia, knew she was the ultimate hostess. She was able to single-handedly pull off a clambake or Christmas dinner with all the fixings without batting an eye. In her later years, she found joy in caring for her great-grandson every day after school, which she coined her “job.” She was a warm and patient woman who would always jump at the opportunity to help those around her, whether it be cooking a meal, painting a bedroom, or caring for sick loved ones.

She leaves her daughter, Kathy Grenier and her daughter’s husband, Henry, of Berlin, her  grandchildren Erin Musselman and her husband, Kevin; Ezra Anderson and his wife, Rachel; Kaley Grenier and her partner, MacKenzie Monahan; and Darcy Grenier and her partner, Sean Wood; her eleven great-grandchildren; her brother, Russell LaRochelle, and his wife, Patricia; and her cousin, Robert “Bucko” Jackman, and his wife, Rose, her special friend Lori Rathbone, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was predeceased by both her parents and her husband as well as her son, George Anderson, and her sister, Joyce Wark.

George and Sylvia wished to carry their special bond into eternity, so their ashes will be spread together at a private family ceremony.  There will be no services.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Green Mountain Conservation Camps (GMCC) by calling them at (802) 828-1460 or by emailing fwgmcc@vermont.gov . GMCC provides a fun place for youth to learn about Vermont’s natural resources, something Sylvia was very passionate about.