Darlene Anderson

Darlene Marie Anderson, 58, died peacefully Oct. 20, 2009, at Providence Alaska Medical Center after a long battle with liver disease.

A service will be at 1 p.m. today in the Maplewood Chapel, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with a viewing from 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. Darlene will be laid to rest at Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery immediately after the service.

Darlene was born Feb. 10, 1951, in Biddeford, Maine, to Rene Provencher and Marceline Leighton. She was a precocious little girl who loved books, cats and singing with her dad and grandmother. She grew up in Maine and Connecticut, singing so well that as a teen she won a scholarship for advanced vocal instruction while living in Wallingford, Conn. Later she met and married Ronald H. Anderson in March of 1967; they became parents of seven children: Sandy, David, Kathy, Michael, Suzanne, Stacy and Edward.

She moved to Alaska permanently in 1976. Darlene and Ron began a property management business in Anchorage that ran successfully for 20 years. She was also a top salesman for Zales Jewelers, Morgan's Home Furnishings and Williams & Kay Furniture.

Her love of music continued all her life and she enjoyed duets and solos in church and the community. Darlene was a member of "Alaskapella" in 2004 and played a lead role in the 2005 production of "Annie" in the Mat-Su Valley. She loved Broadway musicals and performed in "Music Man" and "See How They Run" in the mid-1970s.

She is survived by her ex-husband, Ron; sons, David, Michael and Edward; daughters, Kathy and Suzanne; daughter and son-in-law, Sandy and Steve Butch; and grandchildren, Courtney, Dean, Zachary and Alex Butch.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Stacy.