Anne McDermott
Obituary Reports the death of an individual, providing an account of the person’s life including their achievements, any controversies in which they were involved, and reminiscences by people who knew them.
Anne M. McDermott (nee Cordi), a vibrant, vivacious and often described as a feisty woman, passed away Feb. 15 at the age of 78 at Sharon Health Care Center.
Anne liked meeting new people and befriended them easily with a hello and quick smile. She was kindhearted and had a generous spirit. She had battled cancer twice and was an 18-year survivor.
Anne was born May 25, 1944, in Port Chester, the seventh child in a family of eight siblings. She was an alumnus of Port Chester High School. Anne lived most of her life in Larchmont with short residencies in Harrison, Pelham and Stamford, Conn. She tried the “snowbird” life for a while before moving to Glendale, Ariz. for a few years. But she returned and settled in Dover Plains, N.Y. in 2019.
Early in her adult life, to earn some extra Christmas cash, she took a part-time seasonal job packing boxes for Avon, then became a sales rep selling their products. Once her youngest child started school, she found she had a lot of time on her hands and decided to go to work for B. Altman in White Plains. She later accepted a job with Sears Roebuck where she was employed for nearly 25 years, first as a sales clerk before she networked her way to the receiving department.
Her farewell to retail steered her to another passion – books. She accepted a position in customer service with JAI Press, initially in Greenwich, then in Stamford, Conn. Elsevier purchased the company in 1997 and moved the office to New York City, so Anne became a suburban commuter. She was with JAI Press/Elsevier for 15 years. She then was an in-demand nanny through The Mother Goose Agency.
Never one to remain idle for too long, Anne managed several side jobs including selling Mary Kay cosmetics, working as a server at both the Century Country Club and the White Plains Hotel Banquet Room as well as participating in market research studies. She volunteered frequently with Corporate Outreach, a charitable organization. Their activities included hosting dinners, manning 5K/10K run booths and engaging in other fundraising efforts. More recently in Dover Plains, she volunteered at the community thrift store and as an usher at the local theater.
Beyond being an avid reader, whose favorite genre was mysteries, Anne was also a cinephile who especially loved James Dean and “monster movies.” Anne had several hobbies, some of which included playing board games, assembling puzzles, knitting, collecting all things Elvis, growing roses and houseplants. She loved shopping and finding bargains. She couldn’t pass a good yard sale without stopping.
She was always photographing or taking videos of those around her and her adventures. She loved to travel and drove cross country several times in her beloved Cadillac. Being a great Elvis fan, a particularly delightful highlight of one of these excursions was to have visited Graceland in Memphis. Her goal was to see the whole country.
Anne leaves behind her partner, John Youngs, of Dover Plains; a daughter, Theresa Berg and her husband, Gary, of Manchester, N.H.; a son, William McDermott, of Somers; two granddaughters, Amanda Berg of Warwick, R.I. and Meghan Trudel of Manchester, N.H.; a grandson, William McDermott, of Salt Point, N.Y.; a great-granddaughter, Audrina Trudel, of Manchester, N.H.; two sisters, Rosemary Nelson and Helene Lewis; and a legion of nieces and nephews.
Anne will be sorely missed by friends and family alike. She wished there be no wake or funeral but please visit her memorial page on WeRemember.com, everloved.com or Facebook, “In loving memory of Anne McDermott.”
Donations in Anne’s memory to the American Cancer Society, the Alzheimer’s Association or the American Heart Association would be appreciated.
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