Anne B. (Burns) Lavery

Anne B. Lavery, longtime resident of Sudbury, MA, died on January 9, 2023. She was born in 1932 to Romaine Louise Clark Burns and William Arnold Burns. Anne descended from a family whose history in Sudbury goes back more than three centuries. She was especially close to her grandparents Maude Moore Clark and Frederick Lummus Clark. 

After growing up on the family farms and attending Sudbury schools, Anne studied History and Government at the University of Maine. There she met three friends who formed a close bond lasting over seventy years including much rollicking fun on the coast of Maine. As the four friends created their own families, each with her own college sweetheart, their children grew up considering each other an extra set of cousins. 

The most romantic night of Anne's life centered around being serenaded by her college sweetheart and his fraternity brothers, as was the custom after she was given her sweetheart's pin to wear. Nevertheless, Anne wanted to see more of the world and moved to Colorado after college with one of her childhood best friends. Until Stan, Anne's college sweetheart, traveled to Colorado to convince her that it was time for them to get married and start a family. Which they did. They had three children together, moving the family from one coast to the other and back again. Each new home was full of warmth, laughter, kindness and many beloved rescued animal companions. World travel was a dream deferred, as Anne deftly balanced caring for her family with a career as a loan officer at various financial institutions. 

After giving her own children magical, idyllic childhoods, Anne became a devoted hands-on grandma, driving to countless horseback riding lessons, soccer practices and ballet classes. She frequently took her granddaughters to the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Boston Pops, instilling in them a life-long love of art. Anne's home was always a gathering place for feasts, including Thanksgiving with extended family, get-togethers with friends from college and childhood and Fourth of July parade viewing parties, a tradition that goes back generations. 

In retirement Anne worked the polls, hosted and taught English as a Second Language students, volunteered at the Sudbury Food Pantry and always made sure to donate blood. She also fulfilled that lifelong dream to become a world traveler, enjoying trips to Egypt, Italy, China, Hawaii and Machu Picchu with her husband Stan. Especially important were their trips to England and Ireland, so that she could see where Stan grew up and where his family was from. In later years she could be found working in her flower gardens and battling invasive bittersweet vine or awake in the wee hours, unable to put down the Boston Globe or a book from a friend. Anne was known for her sense of humor, love of the natural world and knowledge of art and history. Also, she and Stan were terrific dancers. 

Anne leaves behind her two daughters, Susan and Elizabeth, her granddaughters Karlie and Natalie and Susan's husband Thomas. Anne was predeceased by her husband Stan, her son Peter and her siblings Jane and Robert. 

Donations in Anne's memory may be made to the Sudbury Valley Trustees, 10 Wolbach Road, Sudbury, MA 01776 and the MSPCA (mspca.org/donate-now).

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Anne B. (Burns) Lavery, please visit our Tree Store.