Below is a Tribute to Evelyn written by Shelley Dittmer.
A Tribute to Evelyn Vihlen
“When you get Handed Lemons, Make Lemonade”
That seems to be the motto of Evelyn Vihlen, our Treasurer for OAGO for over thirty years!
After Bladder cancer and surgery resulting in a Urostomy in 1982, Evelyn joined our local chapter of the Ostomy Association of Greater Orlando a year later. She has been assisting new ostomates ever since.
She was the secretary for a couple of years before taking on the Treasurer’s position.
But Treasurer is just a hint of all the duties that Evelyn has performed. Besides collecting dues and donations; submitting reports to the state, keeping the member list, giving tips to new ostomates, Evelyn has always been the “Coffee” lady at the meetings.
For many years, Evelyn assisted our longtime newsletter editor, Viola Huttoe with the labeling and sorting the bulk mailing of the newsletter. This was not an easy job before the age of computers.
Oh, yes, and then there are the thousands of dollars of supplies collected and shared with the less fortunate by Evelyn and her compatriots. When the stash got too large, she would box up and mail pouches to Friends of Ostomates Worldwide, the group that sends ostomy supplies to foreign countries in need.
It is obvious that Evelyn like to be busy. After getting married in 1952 and leaving her job at Electrolux in New York, Evelyn and her husband moved with the Army, eventually arriving in Seminole County where they had a son, Gary J. (Jennifer) Lannan and a daughter, Susan (Jody Larriviere) Lannan. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Natalie E. (Joe) Coyle and Phillip M. Lannan, niece, Michele Pasternak and nephews, David E. Cohen and Reid Pasternack.
She also worked at First National Bank of Orlando (now SunTrust) for 26 years, one of those years being awarded “Employee of the Year”.
Then off to work at Heart of Florida United Way for ten years.
Do not think that Evelyn only volunteered for UOA. She did attend national conferences over the years, including Boston, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia, always participating in the “Fun Run” She was even on the team that hosted the UOA National Conference in Orlando in 1994, a big job as you can imagine.
She still found time to usher at performances at the Civic Theater, Reparatory Theater, and Shakespeare Theater in Orlando; assist at the Orlando Museum of Art “Festival of Trees”; hostess the Cancer Resource Library at Florida Hospital ; help with RSVP of Seminole County, act as treasurer for Altamonte Women’s Club and knit booties for newborns at Florida Hospital.
We know there are many who want to say their goodbyes and show their respect for Evelyn, unfortunately due to COVID-19, for the safety of all concerned, it breaks our hearts but we must restrict those coming to the funeral to only immediate family and close friends who are completely well to comply with the 50% (80 people) capacity mandated by the CDC. Masks are suggested. We appreciate your support in this difficult decision. Please visit www.baldwinfairchildwestaltamonte.com and offer condolences and take a moment to write a tribute.
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