Anna Cipriano

Anna Jankowski Cipriano, “Grandma Cipi”, 99, of Beaver, formerly of West Babylon, Long Island, NY, passed away Monday, April 4, 2016 at Friendship Ridge, Brighton Township.

Born in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, NY August 21, 1916, she lived most of her life in West Babylon, in the home her husband built for her with his own hands. She moved to Beaver, PA in 2010 to live with her daughter and son-in-law. Since 2011, she had been a resident of Friendship Ridge where she was loved and cared for by the staff.

In addition to her parents, Joseph and Bertha Jankowski, she was preceded in death by her husband John J. Cipriano, a son, John, her sister, Helen, and brothers, John and Stanley.

Though most of her family and friends have passed, she is survived by many who loved her. Her daughter and son-in-law, Marianne Cipriano and Joseph Talluto, Beaver, PA, three granddaughters and their spouses, Stacy (Lambiase) and Frank “Rick” Grandas, Hooversville, PA, and Nichole and Scott Kistner, and Corinne and Christian McConnaughy, all of Beaver, 11 great-grandchildren who shortened her name to “Cipi” – Ericallen, Emma, Frank, Zachary, Caleb, and Anna Grandas, Hooversville, PA, and Cody Smith, Braden Kistner, Lexi Russell, Luke Reed, and Liv McConnaughy, all of Beaver, PA, along with her nieces Joann Anderson and Marguerite Kershaw, nephews, Vincent Cipriano, and Greg Evans and his wife, Toni, and her extended family, the Kistners, Buffingtons, and Grandas.

She would prefer to not be remembered as an older woman whose memory had failed, who used a wheelchair to get around, and was dependent on others, but as the following:

Someone who –

Was a tomboy, who played stickball in the city streets, road a bike, and loved to hike in the Catskill Mountains Loved to float in the ocean, looking up at the clouds Learned to drive on a Model A Ford, but later owned a new 1962 red Chevy Nova convertible Loved her husband who cherished her in return Loved music and ballroom dancing at Roseland Music Hall in NYC where she won multiple Peabody Competitions ( The Two – Step) Had a husband who was not a good dancer, but who never missed dancing with her in the kitchen on Saturday mornings Worried too much about her kids Never hit her children, but threatened to beat them with her wooden spoon Taught us how important morning coffee was, the power of prayer, and how to pray Taught us what it meant to have real faith Loved to play in the snow, take her kids sleigh riding, and teach them to build snowmen Could cook for an army of friends and family on a moment’s notice because she had it all on hand, “just in case” Made the best meatballs Loved her family and friends Never passed up a good sale, even if it meant driving 10 miles out of the way to save 20 cents Loved to pick up and go on a trip or adventure or to just come to see her granddaughters Could never pass up a good cookie tray Always wanted to be a nurse Loved to sit on the beach with eyes closed, the sun on her face, listening to the ocean

It’s the end of the day, as the sun goes down and she is dancing at the water’s edge where the sand is firm below her feet with the love of her life who every now and again, steps on her toes – and she just smiled.

Friends will be received Friday, April 8, 2016 from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm in the Noll Funeral Home, Inc., 333 Third St., Beaver. An additional visitation will take place Saturday, April 9, 2016 from 9:30 am until 10:30 am. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11:00 am in Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, Beaver, with interment to take place at the Long Island National Cemetery, NY. Online condolences may be shared at nollfuneral.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Anna’s name to the Beaver Area Memorial Library, 100 College Avenue, Beaver, PA 15009 or Friendship Ridge, 246 Friendship Circle, Beaver, PA 15009.