From the day Olive Wachtman Panning was born, she left her mark and awed us all with her resilience, strength, and radiant spirit. Olive’s journey was not an easy one, but she never let that get in her way. She fought seemingly unbeatable odds, surprising and delighting everyone as she recovered after major surgeries and long hospital stays. In the past year, Olive became a big sister, made big strides developmentally, explored every inch of the house, and started preschool in Simsbury. Olive was a celebrity at Connecticut Children’s, where she was a favorite of her doctors, nurses, therapists and staff. Olive loved lights, wind, water, scooting and crawling around her house, bouncing and shimmying in her crib at home and in the hospital, and her vast collection of Wubbanubs. She was curious about the world around her and loved to connect with all of the people in her life. Most of all, Olive loved her mom, dad, and sister. Although Olive’s life here on earth was too short, she deeply touched the hearts of all who met her, knew her, and loved her. She filled every room she was in with light and joy. Her giggles were infectious; her spunky personality was always visible. Olive made us all smile and laugh and taught us the real meaning of life and love. Olive was deeply loved by her parents, Adrienne and James, her sister Harriet “Hattie,” and her large extended family, including her grandparents and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Come join us to celebrate Olive's life! Saturday, January 25th from 12p to 4p at the SVFD Firefighters Clubhouse, 30 Town Forest Rd, West Simsbury, CT 06092. Please come dressed comfortably and colorfully (jeans are encouraged!) We envision building a playground in town that she would have enjoyed, where all are welcome to come and laugh. In lieu of flowers, we would be so grateful if you considered contributing to a fund to make this dream come to life. Details about the fund will be forthcoming.