Anastasia M. Dwight

Anastasia M Dwight died on Tuesday, December 4th, 2024, in Whitefield, NH at the age of 86. She was born on November 17, 1938, in St. Joseph’s, Newfoundland. She was the daughter of Bernard and Mary O’Rourke. She was the 3rd born of 8 children.

She met and married John C. Halstead while he was stationed in Gander, Newfoundland as a member of the U.S. Navy. Anastasia emigrated to the United States at the age of 19.

They raised four children in Pepperell, MA, two of whom predeceased her: Sandra Lee, born November 23, 1957, and Gerald David, born March 22, 1959. She is survived by two daughters; Tamela and Michele, and their children and their partners, as well as 4 great grandchildren: Tamela and Jon Swan, of Dalton, NH, Lindsay Swan of Dallas, TX; mother of August and Gabriel, and Ian and Rachael Swan-Krasnoff of Bloomfield, NJ, Michele and the late love of her life, Richard Pearl, have two children and two grandchildren; Oliver Pearl of Quincy, MA, and Ethan and Ani Pearl of Bozeman, MT with children, Micah and Riley.

Life really began for Anastasia at the age of 45. She launched her children into adulthood and then she bravely escaped her troubled relationship with her first husband, whom she outlived.

Anastasia immersed herself into her new, sober life. She made lifelong friends and met the love of her life and husband, Robert Dwight, who passed away in July of 2017.

Her new life was in Scituate, MA; a beautiful town that was reminiscent of her life in coastal Newfoundland. She loved the ocean, and she loved the sun. When she was not performing service work for her sober community, out on her fishing boat named after her (The Annie B), entertaining her children and grandchildren, or being a die-hard cheerleader for her favorite team the Patriots, she could be found on the back deck immersed in a book and enjoying the sunshine.

Anastasia had created a wonderful life for herself and her family until an Alzheimer’s diagnosis started to steal it back. She was diagnosed on her 74th birthday in 2012. 

As Alzheimer’s raged war on her brain, she never lost her sassy, irreverent personality. She became a resident in the Memory Care Unit at the Summit for the last 5 years of her life. She had a great run and thrived there. It was a loving, caring environment and they helped us navigate each battle and theft by this horrible disease.

We love her and she will be missed.

Family and Friends can attend a graveside interment and celebration of life at St. Mary’s Cemetery, 44 Meeting House Ln, Scituate, MA 02066 on Friday, December 13th at 10:45 am. There will be a springtime Memorial for Anastasia as well.