Obituary of Eleanor L. Anderson

Eleanor Louise Anderson passed away on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, surrounded by her loving family, at the age of 92 in Port St Lucie, Florida. To our family, she was the patient matriarch and our brightest star.  To the people she met out and about every day, she was the sweetest thing with quips that made them laugh and a smile that tickled them.  People loved her and her warm and affectionate nature.

Eleanor (“Ellie” to almost everyone who knew her more than a few minutes) was born in Hackensack, NJ, on May 4, 1932, to Joseph and Elsie (née Meeker) Lawrence.  She spent most of her life in NJ, from growing up in Hamilton to raising a family and spending almost 60 years on Franklin Corner Road in Lawrenceville.  For the past two years, she lived in Port Saint Lucie, Florida.

Ellie was proud of her first job working on the assembly line at the General Motors Inland Fisher Guide Plant in West Trenton, NJ.  Later, she worked at the Adam and Eve Health Spa and the Bedens Brook Country Club in addition to being a dedicated homemaker in a household of her husband and five children. She was an adventurous soul who enjoyed food (except mushrooms), word search, singing, coloring, and all the various adventures her children and grandchildren would bring her on.  She enjoyed traveling to lovely places including Hawaii, California, Mexico and Europe.  What many will undeniably remember of Ellie was her joyous singing.  Although she possessed great natural talent, she engaged a vocal coach and began taking singing lessons at 70 and sang throughout the remainder of her life.  She sang in both church and community choirs.  She also had performances at marriages and mayoral events in Lawrenceville and engagements with her pianist, Neal.  Her music uplifted so many and if you asked her to sing in a restaurant, the entire establishment would soon be entertained by one of her favorites, “Come Back to Sorrento.” 

Our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother had a kind-hearted spirit, giving however she could.  She loved supporting her kids and grandkids from attending sporting events to always offering encouragement through life’s challenges. She cared for animals throughout her life, including her many pets, from ducks to dogs, cats, and even an injured pigeon for a time.  She shared in other ways; many have been lucky to receive a beautiful custom-colored drawing from her as a gift, yet another hobby she thoroughly enjoyed. 

She is pre-deceased by her husband of over 50 years, Philip Kerr Anderson and her son, Kip Anderson, both of Lawrenceville.  She is survived by her children: Debbie Hurley, Donna Fasanella, Shawn Anderson, and Michael Anderson – as well as her daughter-in-law Sue Anderson and son-in-law Jose Obien.  Her grandchildren are Jeremy Hurley, Camille Fasanella-Adams, Anthony Hurley, Evan Fasanella, Jesse Hurley, Cody Anderson, and Ryan Anderson, as well as her grandson-in-law Stephen Adams and granddaughter-in-law Ally Moge-Fasanella. Her great-grandchildren are Jeremy Hurley Jr., Bradley Hurley, and Adrianna Hope Hurley. 

Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 21, 2025 at 11:30AM at Poulson & Van Hise Funeral Directors, 650 Lawrence Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648.

Interment will be held at Rosedale Memorial Park, Bensalem, PA.

The visitation for Ellie will be held on Friday morning from 9:00-11:30AM at the funeral home.

All are welcome to say good-bye to Ellie.