In Loving Memory
Ann Linnea Gustafson Wasmer
Ann Linnea Gustafson Wasmer (Gussie), of Naples, Fla., passed away on December 12, 2023, at Naples Community Hospital.
Gussie was born on January 20, 1938, in Concord, N.H., the daughter of Conrad and Gertrude Gustafson, and the big sister of Paul “Gus” Gustafson. She graduated from Concord High School in 1955 and from Upsala College, in East Orange, N.J., in l959 with a Bachelor of Arts in English.
She then moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked in the U.S. House of Representatives for Congressman John M. Ashbrook (R – OH) and then in the U.S. Senate for Senator Norris Cotton (R – NH). She also worked on the first Presidential campaign for Richard M. Nixon and later at the management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton.
She married Pedro Enrique Wasmer on January 29, 1965, in the chapel at the University of Maryland – College Park, and they had three children: Peter, Jennifer and M. Conrad.
Gussie moved with her family to Fairfield, Conn., in 1970, where she became very active in her community and churches. At St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, and Salem Lutheran Church, she was a member of the church choirs, altar guilds, church councils, and various social ministry programs. She also volunteered for many years at the Connecticut Audubon Society and served on its local and state Boards of Directors.
Gussie and Pedro built a vacation house in Chatham, Mass., in 1977. Many summers of family and fun on Cape Cod ensued. Highlights from this era included her four-wheel driving on Nauset Beach, picnics on various sandbar islands accessed by the trusty motorboat, the Santiago, and (very) occasional sailing ventures on Pedro’s catboat, the Pemanjen.
In 2012, Gussie and Pedro relocated to Naples, Fla., where they built a truly Floridian home. She loved Naples for its warm breezes and warm people. With her bright smile and infectious laugh, she nurtured a large network of dear friends, many through Emmanuel Lutheran Church, the PEO sisterhood and her membership at the Naples Sailing & Yacht Club.
Over the years, Gussie and Pedro traveled widely and wildly. Although initially reluctant, she always enjoyed these trips and their adventures – from dug-out canoes in Panama to a river boat in the Amazon to cruising the Danube. She also loved making pilgrimages to Sweden to connect with her cousins and her ancestral roots.
Gussie is preceded in death by her brother, Gus, and her granddaughter, Sadie Jane. She is survived by her husband, Pedro, and her three children, their spouses, and her five other grandchildren: Peter and Kathleen Wasmer, Lydia, Sophie and Pierce; Jennifer Wasmer and Urs Winzenried; and Conrad and Kristi Wasmer, Bayly and Elliott. She is missed by them and countless others.
A Celebration of Gussie’s Life will be held on Sunday, January 7, 2024, at 2 p.m., at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 777 Mooring Line Drive, Naples, Fla., 34102. The service will also be available via live stream at this link.
Gussie’s family is very grateful to everyone at NCH for their care and kindness to her.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to Emmanuel Communities – a non-profit organization bringing essential community services to families in need. Please send donations to 777 Mooring Line Dr., Naples, FL 34102
Gussie was born on January 20, 1938, in Concord, N.H., the daughter of Conrad and Gertrude Gustafson, and the big sister of Paul “Gus” Gustafson. She graduated from Concord High School in 1955 and from Upsala College, in East Orange, N.J., in l959 with a Bachelor of Arts in English.
She then moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked in the U.S. House of Representatives for Congressman John M. Ashbrook (R – OH) and then in the U.S. Senate for Senator Norris Cotton (R – NH). She also worked on the first Presidential campaign for Richard M. Nixon and later at the management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton.
She married Pedro Enrique Wasmer on January 29, 1965, in the chapel at the University of Maryland – College Park, and they had three children: Peter, Jennifer and M. Conrad.
Gussie moved with her family to Fairfield, Conn., in 1970, where she became very active in her community and churches. At St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, and Salem Lutheran Church, she was a member of the church choirs, altar guilds, church councils, and various social ministry programs. She also volunteered for many years at the Connecticut Audubon Society and served on its local and state Boards of Directors.
Gussie and Pedro built a vacation house in Chatham, Mass., in 1977. Many summers of family and fun on Cape Cod ensued. Highlights from this era included her four-wheel driving on Nauset Beach, picnics on various sandbar islands accessed by the trusty motorboat, the Santiago, and (very) occasional sailing ventures on Pedro’s catboat, the Pemanjen.
In 2012, Gussie and Pedro relocated to Naples, Fla., where they built a truly Floridian home. She loved Naples for its warm breezes and warm people. With her bright smile and infectious laugh, she nurtured a large network of dear friends, many through Emmanuel Lutheran Church, the PEO sisterhood and her membership at the Naples Sailing & Yacht Club.
Over the years, Gussie and Pedro traveled widely and wildly. Although initially reluctant, she always enjoyed these trips and their adventures – from dug-out canoes in Panama to a river boat in the Amazon to cruising the Danube. She also loved making pilgrimages to Sweden to connect with her cousins and her ancestral roots.
Gussie is preceded in death by her brother, Gus, and her granddaughter, Sadie Jane. She is survived by her husband, Pedro, and her three children, their spouses, and her five other grandchildren: Peter and Kathleen Wasmer, Lydia, Sophie and Pierce; Jennifer Wasmer and Urs Winzenried; and Conrad and Kristi Wasmer, Bayly and Elliott. She is missed by them and countless others.
A Celebration of Gussie’s Life will be held on Sunday, January 7, 2024, at 2 p.m., at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 777 Mooring Line Drive, Naples, Fla., 34102. The service will also be available via live stream at this link.
Gussie’s family is very grateful to everyone at NCH for their care and kindness to her.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to Emmanuel Communities – a non-profit organization bringing essential community services to families in need. Please send donations to 777 Mooring Line Dr., Naples, FL 34102