Julienne Voisine Steven Wipfler

Colchester — Julienne “Julie” Voisine of Colchester was guided to Heaven by an army of Guardian Angels May 15, 2020, with her two devoted, loving daughters by her side, after a brief, bitter and brave battle with lung cancer.

She was joyfully reunited with her mother, Marguerite, and father, Edmund Grandmaison; her three big brothers, Robert, Gille and John-Paul; her sweet sister Margot; brotherin-law Denis Bisson; her three beautiful nieces, Susie, LouLou and Josee; all the cats she rescued in her lifetime; and her beloved dogs, Coco and Tasha.

Julie was born May 29, 1944, in Biencourt, a small community in Quebec City, Canada. In the late 1960s, she boldly immigrated to the USA without knowing the English language. She started working at Stanadyne in the 1970s, and remained there for over 30 years until her retirement. She was a proud member of Al-Anon and an avid supporter of Protectors of Animals; and volunteered her time to the Community Kitchen at St. Andrew Church in Colchester.

She frequently traveled to Canada to visit her French family. Just before retiring, she traveled to various places in the world with her good friend Gary. She loved writing in her journals, feeding the birds, bunnies and squirrels in her backyard, going to church, red roses, musicals and spending quality time with family and friends. A few years after retirement, she re-entered the workforce once again and took on not one, but two part-time jobs. She became a caretaker for the elderly and a cashier at Westchester Market. She recognized and appreciated the importance of one’s hard work, good health, family and friends, and one’s personal relationship with God. She carried inside her body a huge compassionate heart and an immeasurable spiritual soul.

In addition, Julie was a loyal, loving and generous working single mother of two, a sweet mother-in-law, a fun, proud grandmother of six, an adoring great-grandmother of two, the youngest sister of seven siblings, an amazing aunt to numerous nieces and nephews, a faithful friend to many, and a guardian to all God’s creatures, no matter how small or large. But most of all, she was a child of God. Her legacy, lessons and love will live on through her beautiful daughters, Chantal Cavaliere of Colchester and Sandra Nepomuceno of Manchester; her sons-in-law, Paul and Ernest; her grandchildren, Michael and wife Sabrina, Matthew, Nicholas, Miette-Blue, Max and Gabriel; her great-grandchildren, Anthony and Bradley; her eldest sister, whom she thought of like a mother to her, Suzanne and her husband, Florien Castonguay; her sister Therese Bisson; her three sisters-in-law, Ghislaine, Gisele and Nicole Grandmaison; her brother-in-law Gille and wife Louise Voisine; all her ‘favorite’ nieces and nephews; her caring friends and any stranger she touched with her generous spirit.

In lieu of flowers the family asks for acts of kindness to someone or animal in your life who are in need of support emotionally, economically or spiritually, in honor of her life. A life sweetly, sincerely, independently and strongly lived. The family would like to thank all the heroes at William W. Backus Hospital who provided comfort and care in her most trying time. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic circumstances, services and the celebration of her life will be set at a future date.

Ledyard — Steven “Steve” Wipfler, 66, of Ledyard passed away at home Monday, May 18, 2020, after a brave and sudden bout with cancer. Born May 31, 1953, in Newark, N.J., Steve grew up in Springfield, N.J.

He was preceded in death by his parents Herbert and Meta Wipfler. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Gail (Malicky) Wipfler; sister Lori Pedersen of Kirkland, Wash.; daughter Dawn DeLia of Niantic; son Michael DeLia of Stonington; adopted grandson Brandon Wipfler; grandchildren, Lauren, Ryan and Brett Galisewski; and two great-grandchildren.

For 45 years, he worked in banking, starting as a bank teller and rising to the posts of branch manager and assistant vice president. He was a member and former treasurer of the Ledyard Lions Club, and served as a local election official. Steve volunteered for the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation of New Jersey, which helps children with cancer and their families.

He earned his pilot’s license at the age of 17. He took pleasure in doing home improvement projects and, recently, maintaining a cherished red convertible Mustang. Steve and Gail traveled on road trips up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Their longest trip was across the country in an RV, and included a two-year stop in Oregon. After returning to the East Coast and settling in Ledyard, they marked the end of their cross-country trip with a slate plaque on their home declaring “Journey’s End.”

Donations in Steve’s memory may be made to: Groton Heights Baptist Church, 72 Broad St., Groton, CT 06340 or the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation, for which checks are payable to the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation and mailed in care of C. Cumo, 100 Meadowbrook Road, Brick, New Jersey 08723.

Byles Memorial Home assisted the family with the arrangements. Steve was laid to rest at Avery Stoddard Cemetery in Gales Ferry. For more on Steve, please visit www. byles.com and sign the online register or to share a memory.

Mystic — Henry Hill Anderson Jr. passed away peacefully in Mystic the morning of May 11, 2020. Commodore Anderson was a young man of 98 years. In his beloved Latin, Harry proved, “Quam bene vivas refert non quam diu . ... It is how well you live that matters, not how long.” Harry lived an incredibly full and generous life for almost a century.

“Harry,” as he was known to his family and friends, as well as by those who knew him by his legend, was a man of enormous intellect, inspiration, leadership and inexhaustible energy. Known by many as a leader in international sailing circles for more than 60 years, Harry was also a mentor to many, a champion of experiential learning and an historian of rare equal. An adventurer from a young age, Harry sailed his first Newport-Bermuda Race at the age of 15. Harry’s passion for the sport of sailing took him along many paths, from sailing as a child on Six Meters in the 1930s, to introducing the Finn dinghy class in the United States in the 1950s with his friend Glen Foster, to serving on the America’s Cup selection committee in the 1970s and 1980s. Harry was the Commodore of the New York Yacht Club during the club’s last successful defense of the America’s Cup in 1980. Harry’s achievements and contribution to the sport may never see an equal. Commodore Anderson was a very successful racer, having collected dozens of victories over the years, sailing his many boats of all sizes and varieties. He was a stalwart shipmate whose seamanship skills were exemplary. To the many who had the privilege of racing or cruising or acting in an official manner with Harry, Harry’s greatest delight came from the camaraderie and friendships that came from the sport he devoted much of his life to. There is nary a noteworthy body of water upon which Harry did not compete or officiate, or a smart waterfront tavern where he did not raise a glass.

Communicator, prolific writer of countless notes, problem solver, philanthropist, and fun-loving friend, “godfather by proxy” to legions and Uncle to a very special few, everyone — from waterfront rascals and collegiate sailors to kings and princes, gold medalists, sultans and presidents, too — knew him as their cheerful friend Harry. His connections were limitless. One would never be surprised to hear a person’s name come up in passing only to have Harry say, “He’s my second cousin twice removed.” His travels were limitless, too, whether sailing a clipper ship in the Windward Islands, competing on the famed Six Metre “Goose” in the Solent or working on his beloved Boulaceet Farm in Cape Breton, Harry was rarely a sedentary soul. During those travels, Harry would never miss a chance to drop in and visit his many nieces and nephews and give them his wholehearted support in their endeavors. Born June 2, 1921, in New York City, to Henry H. Anderson Sr. and Helen James Anderson, Harry had early distinguished colonial antecedents, namely his great-grandfather Henry Hill Anderson, counsel for the City of New York in the 1800s. Harry’s great-grandfather, Oliver Burr Jennings, was a Forty-Niner whose ancestor Joshua Jennings settled in Hartford in 1645, concurrently with Jehue Burr, great-grandfather of Col. Aaron Burr of whom Henry H. Anderson Jr. is a collateral descendent (both