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Published April 18, 2024 at 6:00 a.m. | Updated April 18, 2024 at 8:26 p.m.
Sylvia A. Weinhagen of Burlington, Vt., died on April 16, 2024, with family by her side. She was 88, so what she died from is immaterial. What is important is that it was a long, full life.
Long and full does not mean easy. Sylvia was tough, resilient and feisty until the very end. She had a real wisdom that came from life experience. She started life in Essex Junction, Vt., as Sylvia A. Stanton, the first child of Thomas and Genevieve (Neill) Stanton. She spent her youth on River Street, picking berries near the banks of the Winooski River before IBM staked its claim. She was the daughter of the village "ice man," who provided ice cut from the Winooski River.
After graduating from Essex Junction High School in 1953, her youthful path led from Vermont to Wisconsin, where she worked for the Wisconsin Tax Department. She logged many miles on a Harley Davidson, touring with her friends in the Family Motorcycle Club based in Madison, Wis. Shifting gears and marriages, she moved to British Columbia, to Florida, and then back to Vermont in the 1970s to raise her two youngest sons. In her mid-forties, as a single mom with little money but much determination, she pursued her dream of becoming a nurse. She graduated from the Fanny Allen School of Nursing in 1982 and spent the next 20 years working at Fanny Allen Hospital, Fletcher Allen Hospital (the University of Vermont Medical Center), and Cathedral Square.
Her success as a nurse was evidenced by the heartfelt thanks she received from cancer patients and their families during the years she worked on Shepardson 4 at Fletcher Allen Hospital. What was her superpower? She combined critical commentary (yes, even biting sarcasm) with humility and empathy. This endeared her to her patients, her coworkers and her friends, as well as fellow residents and staff at Gazebo Senior Living and the Converse Home, where she spent the last chapter of her life.
Outside of work, she was a master gardener who excelled at arranging beauty in small spaces. Whether it was purchasing and planting flowers for dozens of flower boxes at Village Green in Essex Junction, cultivating an amazing patio garden complete with her favorite Japanese maple tree, or tending to her windowsill orchids, Sylvia’s green thumb and design aesthetic were legendary. She deeply respected the natural world, especially wildlife like wolves, owls and frogs. A Vermonter by birth and upbringing, she also loved the ocean — particularly the waves, the beaches and the sea glass of the Maine coast. Although no services are planned, we will honor her by scattering her ashes in those ocean waves.
Her siblings include Mike Stanton (deceased), Larry Stanton (South Burlington, Vt.) and Cathy Stanton (Carmel Valley, Calif.). Her three sons are John Bergin (Seattle, Wash.), Robert Frydenlund (Swanton, Vt.) and Alex Weinhagen (Burlington). Grandchildren include Caleb Weinhagen (Vancouver, B.C.) and Sarah Jacobs (Jay, Maine). Extended family include her best friend and eventual daughter-in-law, Leslie Frydenlund (Swanton), and Leslie’s two daughters, Cheryl Underwood (Georgia, Vt.) and Nikki Ellison (Fairfax, Vt.).
Sylvia did not mince her words. Growing up during World War II, she understood the danger of fascist “leaders.” She would tell you that fascist “leaders” exist today, in plain sight and just as dangerous. You can honor Sylvia’s memory by voting for democracy in November. You can also make a donation to the ACLU or the National Wildlife Federation.
Long and full does not mean easy. Sylvia was tough, resilient and feisty until the very end. She had a real wisdom that came from life experience. She started life in Essex Junction, Vt., as Sylvia A. Stanton, the first child of Thomas and Genevieve (Neill) Stanton. She spent her youth on River Street, picking berries near the banks of the Winooski River before IBM staked its claim. She was the daughter of the village "ice man," who provided ice cut from the Winooski River.
After graduating from Essex Junction High School in 1953, her youthful path led from Vermont to Wisconsin, where she worked for the Wisconsin Tax Department. She logged many miles on a Harley Davidson, touring with her friends in the Family Motorcycle Club based in Madison, Wis. Shifting gears and marriages, she moved to British Columbia, to Florida, and then back to Vermont in the 1970s to raise her two youngest sons. In her mid-forties, as a single mom with little money but much determination, she pursued her dream of becoming a nurse. She graduated from the Fanny Allen School of Nursing in 1982 and spent the next 20 years working at Fanny Allen Hospital, Fletcher Allen Hospital (the University of Vermont Medical Center), and Cathedral Square.
Her success as a nurse was evidenced by the heartfelt thanks she received from cancer patients and their families during the years she worked on Shepardson 4 at Fletcher Allen Hospital. What was her superpower? She combined critical commentary (yes, even biting sarcasm) with humility and empathy. This endeared her to her patients, her coworkers and her friends, as well as fellow residents and staff at Gazebo Senior Living and the Converse Home, where she spent the last chapter of her life.
Outside of work, she was a master gardener who excelled at arranging beauty in small spaces. Whether it was purchasing and planting flowers for dozens of flower boxes at Village Green in Essex Junction, cultivating an amazing patio garden complete with her favorite Japanese maple tree, or tending to her windowsill orchids, Sylvia’s green thumb and design aesthetic were legendary. She deeply respected the natural world, especially wildlife like wolves, owls and frogs. A Vermonter by birth and upbringing, she also loved the ocean — particularly the waves, the beaches and the sea glass of the Maine coast. Although no services are planned, we will honor her by scattering her ashes in those ocean waves.
Her siblings include Mike Stanton (deceased), Larry Stanton (South Burlington, Vt.) and Cathy Stanton (Carmel Valley, Calif.). Her three sons are John Bergin (Seattle, Wash.), Robert Frydenlund (Swanton, Vt.) and Alex Weinhagen (Burlington). Grandchildren include Caleb Weinhagen (Vancouver, B.C.) and Sarah Jacobs (Jay, Maine). Extended family include her best friend and eventual daughter-in-law, Leslie Frydenlund (Swanton), and Leslie’s two daughters, Cheryl Underwood (Georgia, Vt.) and Nikki Ellison (Fairfax, Vt.).
Sylvia did not mince her words. Growing up during World War II, she understood the danger of fascist “leaders.” She would tell you that fascist “leaders” exist today, in plain sight and just as dangerous. You can honor Sylvia’s memory by voting for democracy in November. You can also make a donation to the ACLU or the National Wildlife Federation.
