Obituary: Lorraine Phillips Anasovitch

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Lorraine Phillips Anasovitch

NAUGATUCK — Lorraine Phillips Anasovitch, affectionately known by some as “JoJo,” died on Saturday, May 9, 2020, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury of a COVID-19 outbreak at a nursing home in Waterbury.

She was born on a cold, wintry night on Dec. 24, 1931, a Christmas gift from God. She was the daughter of Peter Phillips and Helen Blanner Phillips. She was the wife of the late Walter Anasovitch to whom she was married for over 35 years. She was a longtime Naugatuckian.

She may not have been famous or rich, but her life mattered to us. She would never have wished to become a government statistic. All she wanted to be was a sister, wife, mother and a friend, but her life was shortened by this pandemic.

She was educated in the Naugatuck school system. She was a former employee of the Naugatuck Rubber Shop as well as the Hemingway Box Factory in Waterbury. She was a hard worker who always provided for her family.

She was a communicant of St. Francis Church in Naugatuck, when she was able to attend.

She was a longtime member of the Naugatuck Garden Club. She enjoyed planning trips and travelling with her daughter and the Naugatuck Garden Club for many years before she became blind. She looked forward to traveling each summer to the shores of Maine or Cape Cod. One of her all-time favorite trips was to Bermuda. She exclaimed that the blue-green waters were therapeutic and that Bermuda was heaven on earth.

She enjoyed attending numerous dog events with her daughter, especially when the dogs were competing in lure coursing events throughout New England. It didn’t matter if they came in first, second or last. She was excited to see them run, all the same.

She loved the rain, the color purple, and a Sunday drive around Lake Waramaug, followed by an ice cream. She loved getting her hair done, dressing up and putting on a splash of pink lipstick and earrings, even if she had no place to go.

She loved parties and picnics. She enjoyed a good ice cream sundae, a tasty hotdog with the works, a juicy steak dinner or a succulent lobster roll. She loved going shopping on Saturdays and was always searching for a bargain. She was devastated when the last KMarts closed.

She was an expert piecrust baker, as noted by her late sisters, flaky and tender. Her stuffed cabbage was always tightly rolled, juicy, and mouthwatering to perfection.

She was quiet, kind and compassionate, in her own special way. She had her own special humor, even when her timing was sometimes off kilter, but it was funny, just the same. She loved music and would sometimes be caught singing or humming a tune. She loved Andrea Bocelli and the musical score from The Phantom of the Opera, as well as Johnny Cash.

Lorraine is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Cynthia A. and Edward L. Schroeder of Naugatuck; her son and daughter-in-law, Walter I. and Myrna Anasovitch of Rocklin, Calif.; her granddaughter, Victoria Anasovitch of Rocklin, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews. She also leaves her two longtime, faithful companions and grand-dogs, Piper and Fargo. She will be sorely missed by family and friends, alike. She was predeceased by her brother, William Phillips; and her sisters, Amelia Lauer and Bertha Barth.

We would like to thank the compassionate and caring doctors, nurses and aides at St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, who risked their lives to care for our mother during this outbreak.

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, we are unable to hold calling hours or a funeral service at this time. A celebration of life and burial will be held at a later date.

Please consider a donation in memory of our mom to the Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center, 1075 Chase Parkway, Waterbury, CT 06708.

To leave an online condolence, visit www.buckmillerthurstonmengacci.com.