Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Granny, May Angels Lead You In

So the blog didn't make it into the obituary, but I thought the obituary could make it into the blog. My grandma was a force of sarcasm, honesty, and humility. She grew stronger as she aged, learning, changing, making new friends, and taking on new activities  well into her eighties. One of the things that most struck me about my grandma was her desire to learn- both learning for the sake of knowledge and learning for the sake of love. When my cousins played lacrosse and football, she checked out books on the rules of the game from the library. When I lived in Egypt, she looked up recipes for Egyptian food on the internet so she could cook for me. My grandma was a constant in my life- her door always open, chocolate always in the cupboards, and she was always ready to lend an ear. She listened to her grandchildren tell all matter of stories, and she guarded our stories. We discussed aging and dating and cheating and drugs and love and death and the meaning of life. My grandma listened, but over time in her steadfastness she imparted lessons. From our grandma we learned the value of family, and the meaning of unconditional love. I learned what it means to be Grace. My grandma became a friend to me, and how precious a gift is that? Granny, you will be missed! -Ali
Without further ado, the obituary:
Louise Roberts Anderson Oct. 27, 1929 - Dec. 24, 2011 After a short illness Grace Louise (Roberts) Anderson, a lifelong Berkeley resident, died peacefully at home in the circle of her family. She was the daughter of Walter and Zilpha Roberts. Louise was a graduate of Lewis and Clark College. In 1951, Louise met her future husband, Bill, while skiing at Sugar Bowl. After they were married they fulfilled their dream of having a mountain cabin at Serene Lakes, where for over forty years Louise was a gracious hostess to friends and family. Louise enjoyed downhill and cross country skiing as well as hiking in the Donner Summit area admiring seasonal wildflowers. She served on the board of the Serene Lakes Property Owners Association, actively volunteering at their annual events. Louise was a dedicated volunteer in the Berkeley Public Schools, the Bay Area Council of Camp Fire Girls, Alta Bates Hospital Cancer Center, and the Oakland Museum's White Elephant Sale. She was a founding member of the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarians, directing the Religious Education program. Louise worked at the Nature Company in Berkeley. Throughout her life Louise participated in the arts. She danced at the Temple of the Wings, was a member of the Berkeley Folk Dancers and studied Greek dancing. She attended and appreciated dance performances, theatre, opera, and rock concerts. Her passions also included tennis, travel and raising a succession of English Springer Spaniel companions. She enjoyed her book club and read voraciously. Louise is survived by her four children and their spouses, Donald (Julie) Anderson of Berkeley, Jennifer (Mark) Glenesk of Templeton, Jean (Michael) Fournier of Truckee and Matthew (Genevieve) Anderson of London, England. Louise had a close relationship with each of her eight grandchildren, Ian and Camille Anderson, Alison and Bonnie Glenesk, Avery Fournier, and Graham, Georgia, and Bryn Anderson. In addition, Louise opened her home to numerous international students who became family. Friends and family will miss her listening, encouragement, enthusiasm and sense of humor. A celebration of Louise's life will be held on February 18, 2012 at 1:00 at the Hillside Club in Berkeley, 2286 Cedar Street. Memorial donations may be made to the Truckee Donner Land Trust at P.O. Box 8816, Truckee, CA 96162 or www.tdlandtrust.org

Published in San Francisco Chronicle on January 4, 2012