Anna Sanicola

Anna Lillian Sanicola, 94. Pleasant View Retirement Community, Manheim, Pa, lost one of their most beloved residents on Friday, August 10, 2018. Anna Lillian moved from Long Island, NY to retire in PA and truly loved PA and represented it proudly. She and her late husband, Ciro Sanicola, attended the farm show each year and thoroughly enjoyed all it offered. Each year, with much joy and exhilaration, they would go to a nearby Pa farm in Mifflintown to purchase their Christmas tree. For a person who lived through a critical illness in 2017, and a long-time chronic illness, which she eventually succumbed to, we are grateful to have had all these years with her. Anna was born on May 5, 1924 and grew up in a loving family of two brothers and three sisters; she was the fourth to the youngest. She always spoke highly of her parents and siblings. They were a close family and her parents raised them with much love. She had many opportunities to excel and she did so. Anna grew up in the decades that invented the future. She saw the first cars, running water, home electricity, radio, TV, lived through the depression and WWII, saw the first man walk on the moon, the assassination of a beloved president, the digital and computer age. This and so much more. In her early years, she shared the stores of her horseback riding. Always doing some sort of exercise, she thoroughly enjoyed this. In her early working years, she was the hair stylist for the B. Altman Co., Manhattan, NY, where she made the rich and famous more beautiful. She was a true artist, loving to paint, do needle-point and embroidery of which her favorite subjects were horses. She was a fabulous cook as well. Holidays were always filled with sights and smells of wonderful meals she prepared from scratch. She was a lover of music and the arts. There was always music playing in the house. She loved to sing. Every Saturday morning, she would have the Opera playing and she would be singing one of the principle parts. She was a regular member of church and belonged to the Society of the Holy Rosary. She devoted much time to those interests. Outgoing and personal, she made sure everyone felt at home when visiting. Anna made sure everyone was always loved, fed & nurtured. Even while holding a fulltime job working, with the govt food stamp program, serving those in need, she made sure that her children were always encouraged and loved. She always said that raising her children was her most important job. Anna lived a very full life. She saw it all. She did it all. Her talents were numerous, from cooking, painting, singing & more. She had many who loved, admired, & respected her. She and her late husband were well educated and intelligent individuals. To sit and talk with either was a memory to last. Their children were raised to see, learn, & respect all. A very special thank you to those who cared for Anna at Pleasant View Retirement Community and Hospice For All Seasons. Anna is survived by two sons, Charles Peter Sanicola, John Victor Sanicola, & daughter, Maryrose Vestermark; grandchildren: Eric Sanicola, Bret & Laura Sanicola, Julie Marie Johnson (Shaun), John & Peter Sanicola, Charlene Vestermark Hauser (George) Michelle Vestermark Dimitri (Alex), Neil Ryan & Nicole Vestermark & Leif & Kate Vestermark; and seven great grandchildren: Elena Sanicola, Mia Johnson, Charles J. Johnson, Michael Johnson, Jason Demitri, Ahna Vestermark, & Connor Sanicola. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by grandson, Kirk Vestermark. Obituary was written by her loving daughter, Mary. A viewing will be held Thursday, Aug. 16th, 6 8 pm in Good Sipler Funeral & Cremation Centre, Inc., 34-38 N. Reamstown Rd., Reamstown, Pa 17567. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, Aug. 17th at 10:30 am in Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church, 320 Church Ave., Ephrata, Pa 17522; celebrant, Father Ed. Faliskie. Interment will be Mon., Aug. 20th at 1pm in the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. Condolences may be posted at www.goodfuneral.com.