Obituary of VIola Ellen Gerber

Surrounded by family members, Viola Ellen (Stevens) Gerber passed away peacefully on the morning of July 11th, 2016. Born on February 17, 1920, in Rutland, Massachusetts, daughter of William F. Stevens and Nellie (Hurd) Stevens, in the year that women got the vote, she challenged the status quo by studying printing at the Fanning Trade School for Girls in Worcester, Massachusetts, and was employed in the profession at Commonwealth Press in Worcester. Married to Charles F. Gerber in 1945 and predeceased by him in 1991, Vi is survived by her three children: son Donald and his wife Carleen of Lyme; daughter Sue and husband Jody Witte of Narberth, PA; and daughter Judy and husband Mark Simpanen of Greene, RI. She is also is survived by eight grandchildren Lauren (Gerber) Paterson, Allison (Gerber) Hine, Emily (Gerber) Bjornberg, Christine (Witte) DuBois, Zachary Witte, Maryam Witte, Erik Simpanen and Evan Simpanen, and eight great-grandchildren. During the years she raised her children, she also found great pleasure in volunteering with a wide variety of organizations including Girl Scouts and the Salvation Army, as well as being employed as kindergarten aide at Old Lyme Elementary School and assistant to the Town Clerk of Old Lyme. In her later years, Vi was an active member of Lymes' Senior Center and headed the Craft Group which benefited the Center and the community. Vi's greatest joy, after the love of her immediate family, was in the many friendships she cultivated over the decades as a resident of Old Lyme and in her last year and a half at Crescent Point at Niantic. She was especially grateful for her friendship with Robert Marth and the support they lent each other. She was strong and resilient with a sense of humor that never diminished. Ever thoughtful of others, she was a champion of heartfelt causes and will be remembered for all her caring. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, July 23rd at 2:00pm at The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, 4 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, followed by a reception there. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be given in Vi's name to the Lymes' Senior Center, 26 Town Woods Road, Old Lyme, CT 06371. To share a memory of Vi or send a condolence to her family please visit www.rwwfh.com Arrangements by the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home in Centerbrook.