Alice Marie Anderson, age 98, passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 1, 2016 at her home in Nichols. She was born Alice Marie Smart to her parents Frederick and Alice on March 27, 1918 and she was always their greatest pride and joy. She excelled at school. After advancing quickly through high school, she attended New Haven Teachers College on a scholarship and, again on a scholarship, went on to earn her master's degree at Boston University. She pursued a professional career doing what she loved, first as a teacher of young children and then as professor of education at what is now Southern Connecticut State University. Along the way she met and married her husband, the late Charles Adolph Rosell Anderson, and together they had three sons while living in a small home on a quiet street in Stratford. As the children grew, Alice and Charles decided to purchase the larger house in Nichols, where they would both live for the rest of their lives.
If there was a community group, Alice Anderson not only participated in but often organized groups and presided over them. Starting with the Fireside Club, a group that met in the Congregational Church in Stratford during War World ll, Alice developed lifelong friendships and pursued her passions while taking on leadership roles. She was a member of Christ Church in Stratford until moving, and then became a dedicated member and supporter of Trinity Church in Nichols. She was involved in the local PTA while each of her sons attended elementary school, becoming President of the Nichols PTA. She was President of the Nichols Garden Club; and was active in the Trumbull Historical Society and the Nichols Improvement Association.
Since both Alice and Charles became college professors, they and their children were able to spend many days of each summer together. Early on this meant vacationing in Jamestown, Rhode Island and socializing as members of the Housatonic Boat Club in Stratford. Later this included building a house on family property in Vermont; and after Alice and Charles retired they were able to spend weeks at a time with family and friends in Cape Cod.
Alice also loved her pets, and over the course of her long life she had many dogs and many cats, and the family also had fish, birds, and even a snake; but Alice had a special place in her heart for collies. Beginning shortly after Alice had her first child, there was almost always one, and later two, collies in the Anderson house.
Alice is survived by her son Charles Frederick Anderson and his wife Margaret of Woodbridge, by her son Jonathan Smart Rosell Anderson and his wife Sandra Pizzoferrato of West Hartford, and by her son David Triffitt Anderson and his wife Meghan Burke of Marblehead, Massachusetts. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Eric Rosell Anderson and his wife Brandie of Brattleboro, Vermont, Charles Frederick Burke Anderson, Catherine Burke Anderson, Alyssandra Lena Anderson and Jonathan Charles Anderson, and by two great grandsons, Aiden Rosell Anderson and Colin Frederick Anderson. Friends may greet the family on Friday evening, September 9, 2016 from 6 to 8 pm at the Dennis & D'Arcy – Abriola & Kelemen Funeral Home, 2611 Main St., Stratford. All are invited to attend funeral services on Saturday, September 10, 2016, meeting directly at 10:30 am at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1734 Huntington Turnpike, Nichols (Trumbull). Interment will follow in Nichols Village Cemetery. For online condolences please visit www.dennisanddarcy.com. Donations in her memory may be made to the Connecticut Humane Society, 701 Russell Road, Newington, CT 06111.