Lisa Anderson Flanagan, 66

Lisa Anderson Flanagan passed away peacefully on December 8, 2025, after a brief and courageous battle with gallbladder cancer.

Lisa was born on November 13, 1959, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and was raised in Metuchen. She graduated from Metuchen High School in 1977 and went on to earn a degree in economics and French from Lafayette College in 1981. Her time at Lafayette was defined not only by her academic achievements but by the friendships she formed with her sorority sisters and classmates, bonds that brought support, laughter, and love for decades.

Lisa began her career at IBM, where she spent 14 years first as a Systems Engineer and then as a Software Engineering Manager. Her first position in Scranton, Pennsylvania became a pivotal one, as it was there she met her husband, Mal. Together they transferred to New York City and married in 1986. Their years living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan were filled with joy, from evenings at Yankee Stadium, to visiting the Museum of Natural History, to welcoming their two daughters, Ali and Laura.

In 1995, the family moved to Weston, Connecticut, where Lisa lived for the last 30 years of her life. She devoted herself to raising her children, who remember her for her unwavering support, boundless generosity, and thoughtful guidance. Lisa never missed a volleyball game, band concert, or school musical. Deeply involved in their education, she was an active member of the Weston Parent Teacher Organization. In her later years, Lisa embraced one of her greatest joys: becoming “Mimi” to her grandchildren, Madison (6) and William (3). She traveled often to Charlotte, North Carolina, to spend cherished time with them. At the end of her life, she reflected that her greatest accomplishment was the family she and Mal raised together.

Curious, conscientious, and always learning, Lisa planned trips to destinations around the world, to China, Japan, Spain, Russia, France, and Italy, to name a few. She delighted in concerts, Broadway shows, and community lectures. Her passion for education extended into her professional life as well; she developed an expertise in college consulting and guided many students on their path to higher education. She also served the town of Weston as deputy registrar, managing elections with precision and a strong sense of civic duty.

Lisa was a profoundly generous person. In recent years, she volunteered with Food Rescue US, an organization dedicated to reducing food waste by donating surplus food to those in need. Lisa completed hundreds of food rescues and took great pride in the contribution she made to the community and the planet through this organization.

Facing a rare cancer, Lisa was grateful for the specialized and compassionate care she received from the doctors, nurses, and support staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, particularly Dr. James Harding, Dr. William Jarnagin, and Dr. Hooman Yarmohammadi.

Lisa was predeceased by her parents, Fred and Dorothy Anderson. She is survived by her husband, Mal; her daughters, Ali and Laura; her son-in-law, Landon Brown; her grandchildren, Madison and William; her brothers, Gary and Scott; and more than a dozen extended family members and in-laws.

A memorial service will be held at Norfield Congregational Church in Weston, Connecticut on Saturday, December 13, 2025 at 11:30 am. A reception will follow immediately afterwards in the parish hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Lisa’s memory may be made to Food Rescue US – Fairfield County.