Anne Lessard Searles, 80, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Wednesday, October 14th, 2011 after a short illness. She was born in Stamford, CT on May 5, 1931 to the late Albert and Julia Lessard. Anne is a graduate of the Sacred Heart Academy in Stamford and Merrill Business School. She was formerly employed by Beldoch Popper Inc., as the executive secretary to Albert Beldoch, founder and president of the company. Anne has always gone above and beyond; in this she planned and organized the first Customer Service Department. Continuing her career she became executive secretary to the first director of the Lockwood -Mathews Mansion Museum where she also served as an office manager. Her love of reading, and historic preservation sculpted her future, and she had many accomplishments and involvements, including sitting on the Board for the Lockwood Mathews Mansion Museum, and Board Member of Friends of the Norwalk Museums. She was also a member of the Norwalk Preservation Trust, the Wilton Historical Society, and Lifetime Learners. Although she spent much time in the community her greatest joy was with her grandchildren, listening to music, reading, and taking trips to New York City Museums. Anne is survived by two daughters and a son, Janet Benedict and husband Stephen of Stratford, CT; Amy Curley and husband William of Wilton, CT and her son Robert Searles and wife Dena of Roseburg, OR. She is also survived by her sister Janet Memoli and her husband Tony of Stratford, CT. Her five loving grandchildren Lindsay, Leah, William, Emily, Patrick, and a great-grandchild, Marcos, also survive her. Besides her parents she is predeceased by her husband Robert Searles. A funeral procession will be leaving the Hoyt-Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 5 East Wall Street, Norwalk on Wednesday, October 19th, 2011, to arrive at the Saint Thomas the Apostle Church, 203 East Ave, Norwalk, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00AM. Interment will immediately follow at the Riverside Cemetery, 81 Riverside Ave., Norwalk. Friends and family may call at the funeral home on Tuesday, October 18th, 2011 from 4:00PM to 7:00PM. Memorial donations may be made to the Friends of the Norwalk Museums Inc., PO Box 2085, Norwalk CT 06852. Norwalk's Hoyt-Cognetta Funeral Home and Crematory, is honored to assist the Searles family with the arrangements.
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