Obituary of Anne C. Annarumma

Anne C. Annarumma, of Rockville Centre, New York, died peacefully on Saturday, April 11, 2020.  Born October 22, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York, to Giovanna (née Cirafici) and Ralph Buffone, she was the youngest of three children.  Her beloved sister, Marie Buffone, and beloved brother, Gene Buffone, predecease her. 

A talented and accomplished life-long artist, after declining a full scholarship to art school, she married Guido John Annarumma (d. 1980), her adoring husband, and they began a journey together full of love, laughter, and adventure.  Their greatest shared joy were their children, Michele (Robert) Marx, Jeanne Marie (Gina Alverez) Annarumma, Katherine (Andrew) Lang, Guy Annarumma (d.1965), Jacqueline (Christopher) Cahillane, and Susan Annarumma, to whom she was devoted.  Anne raised her family in Rockville Centre, NY, and spent her summers at their beach house in Breezy Point, NY where she and her family enjoyed laughter, the company of extended family and friends, and sunsets and long walks along the beach.  She was an active member of the community who through the years particularly enjoyed her role as a Girl Scout leader, as well as her participation in the Stencil Artisan’s League of Long Island.  An exceptionally talented vocalist with perfect pitch, Anne was a choir member of both St. Christopher’s Church of Baldwin, NY, and St. Agnes Church, of Rockville Centre, NY.  Her strong aesthetic and creative sense fueled her imagination and influenced all her endeavors.

As her children grew, Anne returned to school and proudly earned her baccalaureate degree in nursing from Molloy College.  As evidenced by the many notes of appreciation she received from patients and their families through her years of service, Anne was a gentle, compassionate, competent, and passionate registered nurse, whose warmth and kindness made a difference to many of the patients she cared for as a postpartum/neonatal hospital nurse, and as a visiting nurse later in her career.

Anne walked through life with grace; she carried herself with dignity and her inner beauty radiated in all her days.  Through good times and through the challenges she faced, with humbleness and gratitude Anne lived her life with love, laughter, humor and wit.  She taught her five daughters by example, and with support and guidance held high expectations for each of them.  At the heart of her instruction was family and family first, and to do things that matter.  Anne loved all her family and filled conversations with stories from her childhood to her present days.  Whether recalling her parents playing pinochle with her aunts and uncles; the glamour and elegance of her mother, aunts, and cousins; a funny incident with a favored pet; an antic of her husband; the adventurous spirt of one of her children, or nieces or nephews; or the sweetness of a grandchild, her stories conveyed her vibrant sense of life.  Those who remember Anne in their stories will not be able to help but recall her sweet disposition, her generosity of spirit, her laughter, unconditional love and acceptance, or how she looked at life with wonder and appreciation of the beauty around her.  She will be greatly missed.

In addition to her daughters and their partners, Anne leaves behind her beloved grandchildren, Alessandra (Hezi) Torati, Gabrielle (Robert) Heaton, Emily Lang, Gregory Lang, Elizabeth Lang, Lauren Cahillane, Alexander Cahillane, Madeline Cahillane, Carlianne Simonelli, and Jackson Simonelli, as well as her beloved great grandchildren.  Babies and children always gravitated toward Anne and she to them, and to her dying day she embraced the blessing of her growing family.

Anne C. Annarumma will be interred Friday, April 17^th, 2020 alongside her husband at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY.  The funeral procession will leave from the Marine Park Funeral Home parking lot at 1:00 PM.  A memorial service celebrating her life will be scheduled at a time when people can come together, as were her wishes.  In remembrance of her love for children, her commitment to the care of others, and the battles she fought courageously in life, the family of Anne C. Annarumma asks that you consider making a donation in her name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. http://giftfunds.stjude.org/anneannarumma