LauraAnn Stevens Hernandez, 56, passed away in the comfort of her family at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington on Wednesday, September 2, 2015, following several years of declining health that included her battle with breast cancer. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 18, 1959, she was the daughter of Robert M. Stevens and the late Sonja L. (Olson) Stevens. On September 20, 1997, she married Joseph K. Hernandez in Waitsfield.
LauraAnn was a 1977 graduate of Burlington High School and continued her education, graduating from the Fanny Allen School of Nursing as an LPN. Moving to Florida, she worked for several years at a birthing center. Returning to Burlington, LauraAnn joined the family business, Business Systems of Vermont, working in sales of office furniture and supplies.
Becoming a resident of the Mad River Valley, LauraAnn worked at The Common Man Restaurant, later for Jamieson Insurance and more recently as assistant manager at the Paradise Deli in Warren.
LauraAnn is remembered for being an active and loving stepmother to Joe who she helped raise from the age of 6, her enjoyment of skiing and her sense of family and the importance of staying connected.
LauraAnn is loved and mourned by her husband of 18 years, Joseph Hernandez of Waitsfield; her father, Robert M. Stevens and his partner Julie Pease of Waitsfield; her stepson, Joe Silva of Waitsfield; siblings, Janet Oosterman and her husband Howard of Ferrisburgh, Lisa Stevens and her partner Gerry Petit of Bristol, and Robert M. Stevens and his wife Nanette of South Burlington; as well as nieces, nephews and extended family. Her mother, Sonja, predeceased her in 1995.
A service to remember and celebrate the life of LauraAnn will be held from Founders Hall (the parish hall of Our Lady of the Snows Church) in Waitsfield on October 10, 2015, at 2 p.m. Inurnment will take place in the Waitsfield Village Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts would be appreciated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure (www.komen.org). Assisting the family is Perkins-Parker Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Waterbury. To send online condolences visit www.perkinsparker.com and the funeral home Facebook page.
