Eleanor Irene Hayward Anderson, our bright and peaceful light, left us unexpectedly on July 10, 2026, and the world will never be the same.
She came to us on September 14, 1996, in the earliest hours of the day, and has been a beacon of light and joy from the moment she arrived. Her inquisitive mind and desire to learn absolutely everything were outshone only by her capacity for love and kindness.
From toddlerhood through her nearly 30 years, she tried new things, took big steps, gambled on herself and won every single time. She was the least stereotypical middle child ever, never lost in the shuffle, never relegated to the sidelines, and never overlooked.
She was a born leader, who rose to every occasion with grace and humility and excellence. Whether it was learning to read at 4, pointe shoes when she was 12, or double majoring in college, she approached every new challenge as an adventure and threw her entire self into it. Ellie loved to travel and spent a glorious month in Greece during her sophomore year of college, and also studied abroad as a Junior when she spent a semester in Budapest, Hungary. She took every opportunity during that time to see Europe, visiting Poland, Romania, Vienna and Austria, and connected with family she’d never met in Sweden. They showed her incredible hospitality and the ancestral home, and gave her lifelong connections she cherished and never took for granted.
After college, she entered the finance world, working first at Unibank for Savings before making the jump to municipal government with the Town of Shrewsbury. For the last four years, she worked in the Finance Department for the Town of Acton, beginning as a finance clerk and rising to Budget Director.
She surprised herself with how much she loved her job, considering that math was never her favorite subject in school and that she majored in history and political science in college. Somehow, she found joy in the challenges, developed spreadsheets for everything, and treated every colleague with kindness, respect and a heavy dose of self-deprecating humor.
Ellie loved well and with great joy. Everyone who was lucky enough to know her was blessed with her intelligence, wicked sarcasm and giant capacity for love. She was creative, excelling at every craft she undertook and mastering every recipe that caught her fancy. She loved music, and shared newly discovered artists with everyone, broadening horizons and identifying new favorites.
She had a lifelong musical love affair with Paul Simon, which culminated with finally seeing him live during his Homeward Bound tour during which she spent nearly the entire concert in tears of joy.
She loved animals, at least the ones with fur – snakes and lizards were the exception – and was happily obsessed for the last 7 years with her cat, Bert. For the past three years, she has shared her heart and her life with her person, Dan, whom she adored with everything she was. Their love was a shining example of two people who support each other in every circumstance, a true equal partnership where strengths were celebrated and weaknesses were supported with grace and kindness. They were just embarking on their forever together, and she was excited to bring all of her creativity to their new home.
Ellie grew up in Grafton and graduated from Holy Name High School in Worcester. She received her bachelor’s degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland and recently achieved her Masters of Public Administration from Clark University in Worcester.
She will be missed forever by her father, Steven Anderson, with whom she shared a love of history, cats, and who taught her to read using unconventional books about ocean liners; her mother, Ruth Anderson, who tagged along with her on uncounted adventures to coffee shops, antique stores, a week in Budapest, concerts and massive cookie decorating sessions every year; and her sisters, Maggie Fitzpatrick and Corrie Anderson, with whom she shared all of her childhood memories and deep adult connections, where she was their biggest champion; and her fiancé, Dan Comeau, the love of her young life who brought her joy, laughter and a strong sense of security that she really was going to get everything she ever wanted.
In addition, she leaves behind her niece and nephews, Candace, Jameson and Zachary Fitzpatrick, to whom she was the best auntie ever known, showering them with love and fun from the moment they were born; her paternal grandmothers Nancy Anderson and Lois Anderson, her maternal grandfather, Lawrence Hayward, and multiple aunts, uncles and cousins; as well as a large and loving group of friends and co-workers who were blessed to know and work with her.
She was predeceased by her paternal grandfather, Leonard Anderson, and her maternal grandmother, Pauline Hayward, with whom we are all sure she was reunited with over ice cream. Ellie, you were our wise old soul, you made us laugh, and you made us think outside the box, you accepted us right where we were no matter the circumstance and always, always believed the very best for us. Sail on Silver Girl – we do not know how we will go on without you.
Acton Select Board Chair Alissa Nicol sent the following statement to Acton volunteers:
Ellie joined the Town four years ago in June of 2022 with the Finance Department, first as a finance clerk, rising to the position of Budget Manager, and then to her most recent position as Budget Director. Ellie was an integral part of the organization, working with every single department, and most, if not all, of the staff in the Town’s employ.
She was known by her colleagues as intelligent, kind, funny, respectful, and patient. She loved her job, and found much joy in it. She was an innovative problem solver, adept at clearly and creatively communicating financial information, and played a central role in producing common-sense budgets and award-winning financial reports. She was earnest and had a passion for learning, growth, and innovation. A trusted and treasured co-worker and public servant for the Acton community.
It is a very difficult time for Town staff, but they are a strong and connected team who will work through this challenge, relying on each other and leadership in the Manager’s and Human Resources offices.
Visiting Hours will be held Saturday, August 1, 2026 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at the Valley Chapel, 14 Hunter Road, Uxbridge, with a Funeral Service to follow at 11:00 a.m.
Burial will be private.
