Ann L. DiStefano

It’s incredibly hard for me to talk about this, but my mom recently passed away and left this world. And as much as I try to rationalize that she is now free of pain and suffering and in a better place it still hurts so much.

She had so many health issues that stole from her all the things she loved to do. An early operation at age 23 prevented my mom and dad from possibly having a daughter after I was born. Heart issues took away her stamina, arthritis stole her mobility and dexterity, macular degeneration robbed her of her vision, and finally dementia took her mind, the only thing she had left after her physical body was broken. But through it all, she persevered and did the things that brought her joy and satisfaction.

She was an avid gardener who grew both flowers and vegetables. She kept a family heirloom rose bush growing from her grandmother, along with many other rose bush varieties. Vegetable gardening became almost an obsession. The more she grew, the more she cooked and shared with family, friends and neighbors. There was no task she wouldn’t do. She cut grass, dug holes, and shoveled dirt along with my dad and I.

Though she was an avid cook of Portuguese cuisine when she was young, when she married my dad who is Italian, she learned from all the Italian side of the family how to cook all the Italian specialties. Everything from entrees to desserts, lasagna to Christmas cookies. But the most important Italian trait she learned was always cook twice as much as you think you’ll need. Mangia!

She was also thrifty and a do-it yourselves. Instead of buying clothes, she took sewing lessons and proceeded to make nearly all her clothes, blouses, pants, skirts, dresses, jackets, you name it she made it. She even made me a sport coat when I was a teenager, complete with a Johnny Carson red inside liner.

One particular skill she had and throughly enjoyed was braiding palms around Palm Sunday and Easter. She created little crosses to place on gravestones, nice frilly ones to give people for their homes and large exquisitely detailed one from an entire palm fronds. She would going to her church, Our Lady of Grace and teach others the different patterns of braiding.

She never could just sit and do nothing, so another skill she taught herself was crochet and knitting. Thankfully the hooks and needles were metal because if they were wood they would have caught fire with the high speed rubbing together. She could be making something and simultaneously have a conversation or watch TV. She made everything from dish cloths to baby sets to afghans for bedspreads. All year long she would create items for gifts and also for the church charity events.

All through her life she was the quintessential housewife. keeping our home clean, organized, and safe. This was always job number one. She was the captain of the ship and our home always needed to be ship shape. This was, in her mind, the most important gift she could give to our family and our lives.

The world has lost another person from the older generation of people who first and foremost gave of themselves to help and support others before thinking of themselves first.

Her funeral will be on Friday, July 11, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. from the Maceroni Funeral Home, 1381 Smith St., North Providence, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. in Our Lady of Grace Church, George Waterman Road, Johnston. Burial will be in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston. Visitation Thursday 4-7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ann’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38105.