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Mabel Lewis Anderson
Mabel Lewis Anderson of Westhampton Beach died on Wednesday, May 1, at the Westhampton Care Center. She was 102.
Ms. Anderson was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on September 17, 1910, to Francis and Alice Lewis. She graduated from Cornell University with honors and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society in her junior year. She attained two master’s degrees, one from Cornell and one from the State University of New York at Oneonta.
She spoke four languages and her working life was spent in education in the Catskills area. She was a language and history teacher, principal, superintendent, college professor and the acting dean of education at Oneonta. At one time, she was the first and only woman principal of a New York State K-12 public school in Treadwell, New York.
While working in Treadwell, she met and married her husband, Sven, and they were married for more than 50 years until his death. She took seven years off from teaching to raise two boys. Richard, the oldest, was a teacher in Westhampton Beach and Robert became a scientist and lives in California.
After retirement, Ms. Anderson and her husband moved to Westhampton Beach where she participated in various community activities. She was an active member of the Westhampton Presbyterian Church, where she served as an elder, clerk of session, president of the Presbyterian Women and created and edited a monthly newsletter. She also wrote a book regarding the history of the Westhampton Presbyterian Church.
Other activities included membership in the Westhampton Women’s Club, president of AARP, trustee and president of the Westhampton Free Library and vice president of the East End Retired Teachers Association.
She is survived by her two sons, Richard and his wife Margretta of Westhampton Beach, Robert and his wife Dianne of California; five grandchildren, Daren Anderson and wife Esterina of Connecticut, Keegan Anderson and wife Sarah of London, Kim Letourneau and husband Jay of Massachusetts, David Anderson and wife Glodine of New York City and Kristopher Anderson of New York City; four step-grandchildren, Thomas and Gabrielle Messeder, Amber Vanderpol and Amanda Ost. She is also survived by five great-grandchildren, Kieran, Devin and Liam Anderson and Troy and Kaci Letourneau.
A memorial service will be held at the Westhampton Presbyterian Church on Saturday, May 11, at 1 p.m. A reception will follow.
Memorial donations may be made to the Westhampton Presbyterian Church, 90 Meeting House Road, Quiogue, NY 11978.
on May 6, 2013