Sharon, Vt. — Anne LeNeve Berndt of Sharon died peacefully in the garden of her home in the late afternoon of Thursday, June 15, 2017, listening to the raucous chatter of birds. The smell of lilacs, peonies and irises filled her final days, swallowtail butterflies danced upon the flowers and the wind traveled through the leaves of what she called her “church.” She was at peace in the cathedral of flowers and forests of Maverick Farm, the sugarbush she co-owned with husband Arthur Berndt, her one great love.

Anne cherished the natural world and fought to save the environment for future generations. She was a forward thinker, co-founding Energy Action Network and co-trustee of the Maverick Lloyd Foundation, which champions environmental stewardship and social justice. She felt as deeply for nature as she did politics, never shying away from a good debate or the evolution of ideas. She dazzled those who met her with her intellectual acuity and emotional breadth. Even in the briefest of meetings people noted the strength of her spirit and the generosity of her soul. Empathic to the core she guided many towards the path of joy and fulfillment. As a writer and artist the words she shared through letters transcended the limits of the page flowing straight to the heart.

In her last days she was embraced by friends and family, her husband of 36 years; her two daughters; and five grandchildren sharing final heartfelt connections and laughter. She walked to death as she lived her life, caring more for well being of others than her own, breathing the world around her and thinking deeply of life and ideas.

In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to The Hand to Heart Project www.handtoheartproject.org.