Stephanie Anderson passed peacefully on November 2, 2018, with her daughter Linda by her side and holding her hand.
Stephanie was born on April 25, 1918 at home in Hartford Connecticut to Tekla (Koriniuk) and Adam Myks. (Down the block from Katherine Hepburn!) Her first languages were Ukrainian, English, and Polish. After losing her mom at age 6, and her dad at 14, Stephanie was left to overcome her stepmother’s alcoholism and bootlegging operation where she was forced to work maintaining the proper temperature of the boiler cooking the mash. After High School and thanks to her best friend’s family, she escaped to New York City for a better life.
She was proud to have worked at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital as a dietician, catering to such notables as The King of Spain and Mrs. David Rockefeller among others. She also met her husband Charles “Charlie” Anderson. Her favorite memory was of taking the midnight Hudson River Cruise and Charlie began to sing quietly in her ear, “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” that was soon joined by everyone on the boat.
During World War II, Stephanie worked as a lathe operator, manufacturing parts for the War effort, while her husband Charlie served in Europe. Stephanie worked at Sperry Gyroscope in Lake Success, NY in the early 1940’s. Upon learning that her fellow male machinists were being paid more than she was, simply because they were men, Stephanie stopped her work at once. She told her supervisor she would resume work when he paid her “a man’s wage,” because she was doing a “man’s work.” Throughout her lifetime, Stephanie advocated for women in the workforce, in a time when few spoke out.
When her children were young, Stephanie and Charlie partnered with John Martin to form Commack Precision Products, manufacturing terminal boards for electronic devices. They were on the forefront of manufacturing printed circuit boards, and created Standard Printed Circuits, one of just 3 companies in the American industry at that time and the only one owned by a woman. They manufactured boards for such companies as Raymond, Inc., General Dynamics and Northrup Grumman. Moving to Sherburne in 1970 brought them a success that they shared with the employees they valued. In the 1970s, Stephanie was honored to be nominated by NBT Bank for the Small Business Person of the year.
After Charlie passed in 1980, Stephanie and her daughter Linda relocated to Las Vegas, NV, but she always maintained a home in Sherburne. A serial entrepreneur, she and her daughter Linda owned a successful flower shop called Valley Florists. Stephanie loved to work hard and play harder. Her secret to reaching 100 and a 1/2 was by refraining from alcohol and smoking. She had a gift for knowing which slot machine would win and enjoyed many a night on the Las Vegas Strip.
Her favorite adventure was a trip to Europe she took with her daughter Carla Janice. Stephanie lived a meaningful life and got a taste of what this earth has to offer.
Stephanie was the strongest woman you’d ever meet. She forged her own way. She created her own rules. In a time when the rules kept strong women from having a seat at the table, Stephanie made her own seat and sat right at the head. She used her privilege later in life to support many non-profits, and invest in people who needed a hand up.
Stephanie was pre-deceased by her parents, brother Henry, husband, Charlie in 1980 and her son, Steve in 2011.
Stephanie is survived by her daughters Carla Janice Fey and Linda Anderson Staley, her son-in-law Jack Staley, her daughter-in-law Sandy Anderson, her grandchildren Frank (Elaine) Fey, Tom (Kathy) Fey, Michael (Anna) Anderson, Stephanie and Shannon Staley. Stephanie had the happy opportunity to know her great-grand-children Stephanie, Brittany and Morgan Fey, Sophia and Adam Anderson.
The family would like to extend its sincere thanks to Crouse Community Center for all of the loving care and kindness they showered on Stephanie, making her last days comfortable and safe.
In her memory, please consider donations to the National Federation for the Blind, SPCA, WWII Memorial fund, and to Save The Sherburne Inn.
Funeral services will be held at 1:30 pm Saturday, November 10, at the Burgess & Tedesco Funeral Home, 10 S. Main St., Sherburne.
Interment will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Norwich, NY.
Friends are invited to call at the funeral home on Saturday from 11:30am to 1:30pm prior to the service.
To send a condolence and sign the Book of Memories online go to www.burgessandtedescofuneralhomes.com.