Anne Scalese

Anne Scalese was born Anna Yamma on July 14, 1924 at Follansbee, West Virginia. Her mother was Micuzza Margaret Pino who immigrated from Italy, with her parents, at around age 2. Her father was Raffaele Jemma, also an Italian Immigrant. Margaret, widowed at a young age, remarried Anthony Cuzzola circa 1925, who became Anne's loving father until his death in 1984. Anne helped provide loving care for her younger siblings, brothers Joseph, Frank, Robert and Anthony, and sisters Carmella and Celia, to whom her mother gave birth over subsequent years. This set the tone for Anne always being caring and helpful to all she came into contact with throughout her life, becoming a beloved aunt to several nieces and nephews, and beloved grandmother to her grandson, Daron, and his three daughters.

Anne married Joseph Scalese, February 14, 1941, and bore one child, her son, Jack. She and Joseph met as children in Oil City, Pennsylvania; they both later attended Oil City High School. They moved to Erie, Pennsylvania in 1941 where they resided until moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1957; there, only about nine months, they moved on to Livermore, California. Subsequently, they resided at Orangevale, California from 1960 until they settled at Loomis, California from 1971 until Annes passing, May 27, 2020.

Anne was gifted with an aesthetic eye for beauty and style. As a teenager she aspired to become a fashion designer, drawing clothing. She was unable to attend fashion school, due to limited funds and starting her own family at a young age. Nevertheless, she pursued her interests making dresses by hand. She was dignified and elegant. She became a student of nutrition, exercise, and good living.

Anne will always be remembered for her concern for others. During World War II, she did her part from the Homefront, providing loving letters and packages to three of her brothers, Frank, Jimmy, and Joseph, deployed in Europe, Burma, and the USA. Her writing skills honed during the World War, after moving to California in 1958, Anne always nurtured her family some 2,600 miles away in Pennsylvania through her many loving letters home, offering advice on nutrition, always remembering birthdays and special family events. Says her sister, Carmella of her, "such a sweet person from afar . . . the distance made no difference." Her niece, Nancy adds, "she always remembered everybody." Anne had a talent for making others feel special. She appreciated the unique spirit of each person she came to know, making each feel special. Perhaps this is because she herself was so special.

Gifted with a an optimistic nature, and a delightful sense of humor, mirth, delight, and laughter were always present to behold from her. She always encouraged others to "never quit . . . never give up," her advice in aging was, "always do what you have always done." Her profound love of life and its Creator manifested through the delightful smile on her face when she would see a baby, a child, a cat, a squirrel, a bird, and upon the entrance of someone she loved into the room. During the last years of her life, she often sat next to a large floor to ceiling patio window facing a beautiful open pastoral scene of green trees and orange trees. Occasionally, a goose or wild turkey would appear, but often groups of deer would come to her patio to graze. It is as if these gentle and tender creatures were sent by God to comfort her lonely hours, to caress her eyes with beauty through to her loving soul, and to return to her through Nature, the love she gave to the world.
Anne is exceedingly missed, but profoundly loved.

Prepared by Jack Scalese (June 7, 2020)