On December 18, 2024 Anna Puglia of Staten Island, NY left us to go home to God and to be with her sweetheart Vincent. Anna is deeply loved for the wonderful, loving, happy and memorable life she made for her family. She will always be remembered for her commitment to helping family, friends and community.

Anna was a strong woman with a tenacity for life. Some have described her as a force to be reckoned with. She was a beautiful combination of loving, caring, compassion, feistiness and spunk. She'll also be remembered for not taking herself seriously and knowing how to be silly to make others laugh. Anna made a lasting impact and is very loved by the many who knew her. She was very blessed in having lots of family and many close friends in her life.

She was born on April 26th, 1929 in Brooklyn, NY to Antonio and Giuseppina Razzano who, in the very early 1920s immigrated to America from Durazzano a municipality in the Province of Benevento in the Italian region of Campania. Anna had three older brothers (Pasquale a.k.a. Pat; Francesco a.k.a. Frank; Giovanni a.k.a. John) and a younger sister Francesca who passed away when she was 9 months old.

It was at the Coney Island home or her best friend Fausta that Anna met her sweetheart Vincent. They were married on October 22, 1949 at Our Lady of Solace Church in Coney Island. After honeymooning in Niagara Falls, Canada they settled down in the Gravesend area of Brooklyn where their daughters Maria and Josephine were born. After the birth of their granddaughter Lisa in 1986 they decided it was time to move to Staten Island where their daughters were living.

Anna was a talented, creative and an accomplished dressmaker. After completing her Fashion Sewing curriculum at Sarah J. Hale High School she went on to make women's blouses. Once her first daughter was born, she stopped sewing and became a homemaker. A few years later Anna and her husband Vincent opened the V&A Sweet Shoppe Bakery which she helped operate. Once her second daughter was born Anna started getting back into her sewing mode. Besides altering her daughters' clothing, she also started to create unique and custom outfits for Barbie dolls. She also started an in home business for altering clothes.

Once Anna's daughters no longer needed constant supervision she began working full time at her passion for dressmaking. In her long career as a dressmaker, she made bridal dresses, christening outfits, communion dresses and women's clothing.

Anna's passion for dressmaking was not only her profession but her hobby as well. Once her granddaughter was born she took great pride in making clothing for her (including her communion dress) and creating custom Halloween costumes. The quality and creativity of these costumes could have rivaled anything made at Hollywood studios. Anna was also talented at crocheting and loved teaching friends, family and her volunteer clients how to crochet. Additionally, she excelled at and had a passion for baking... she had hands of gold. She was known for her fabulous cream cheese cake and her specialty cookies such as 7-layer, pignoli, anisette toast and snickerdoodles to name a few. Her 7- layer cookies were extra special since they were made with extra love because they were her granddaughter Lisa's favorite cookie.

While living in Brooklyn Anna volunteered at her daughters' elementary school and at Most Precious Blood Church with the Ladies Rosary Society. After moving to Staten Island in 1986 Anna became very involved in volunteering. She became a Eucharist Minister at St Charles Church dispensing the Holy Blood (wine) at Sunday masses and bringing the host to parishioners that were home bound. She also volunteered with the St Vincent DePaul Society, Camp St Edward and their food pantry, the Franciscan Handmaids of Mary, the Ladies of Charity, the Wounded Warrior Project, and in Seaview's Retired and Volunteer Program.

It was Anna's work in Seaview's Adult Day Health Care Program, where she was adored by her clients, that she earned her many awards. In 2007, out of a group of 8,000 volunteers, Anna along with 16 other volunteers were chosen to receive the prestigious city wide Volunteer Recognition award from the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation and the HHC Council of Directors for Volunteer Services. In 2010, at Staten Island Borough Hall, Anna received a volunteer recognition award from the Network of Volunteer Administrators (NOVA). In 2011 she received individual recognition at the Community Service Society's 45th Annual Tribute Day. And in 2012 Seaview bestowed her with a Lifetime Achievement Award where she also received recognition from the NYS Assembly, the NYC Council, and the US House of Representatives.

Anna loved traveling with her beloved husband Vincent and at times included friends and family. Besides several trips to Canada and Italy she also visited France, Spain, Alaska, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Bermuda, Paradise Island, California (especially wine country), New England and several other states. Anna enjoyed cruising and her favorite land excursion was the helicopter ride that landed on Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska.

Anna lived a wonderful life and was loved and admired by many. She was with us for such a long time that we thought she'd be here forever. We are grateful for the beautiful memories and the stories that we have to share with each other. We know that she will live in our hearts forever.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, CONTRIBUTIONS IN ANNA'S MEMORY CAN BE SENT TO ST CHARLES CHURCH ON STATEN ISLAND.

Checks made out to St. Charles Church should be mailed as follows:

St. Charles Church

ATTN: Joanne or Lynne

644 Clawson Street

Staten Island, NY 10306