Ann Marie Altieri

Ann Marie (Gabianelli) Altieri, 95, of Largo, Florida, formerly of Wallingford, CT, wife of the late Victor Altieri, passed away October 22, 2017. She was born in Derby, CT, on May 12, 1922, a daughter of the late Giuseppe and Elisa (Berardi) Gabbianelli who were born in Italy and immigrated to the United States. She has been living in Largo, FL for the past 25 years and lived in Wallingford from 1962- 1992.

Ann's family fell on hard times during the Depression, but Ann was a hard worker and lived her life to the fullest. In addition to various factory jobs taken at age 15, she was a photographer; gardener; swimmer; line, square, tap, and ballroom dancer; roller skater; and great Italian cook. In her Florida years, she took pleasure in walking on the beach to find shells and shark teeth.  She loved to watch professional figure skating and met many of the top skaters over the years. She was a fan of several soap operas, television game shows, Lawrence Welk productions, and also enjoyed many trips to Disney, Cypress and Busch Gardens, as well as trips back to New England every fall to see the foliage. She loved to travel around the U.S.--especially Las Vegas where she played the nickel machines and got to meet Debbie Reynolds and Wayne Newton.  She collected bells and musical bears. She loved Elvis Presley and celebrated her 90th and 95th birthdays being serenaded by an Elvis tribute singer.

She had fun holding and playing with many of her daughter, Karen, and son-in-law, Jan's foster dogs and puppies, and especially loved and helped care for their former rescue dogs Abbey and Buckley. She was thrilled to be cast as an extra in the Hollywood movie “Dolphin Tale.”  She is shown in a scene towards the end of the movie sitting in her wheelchair. Ann worked as a Nurse's Aide for 30 years at Memorial Hospital in Meriden where she received several awards for outstanding service to her patients.

For more than 20 years she enjoyed her morning breakfast at McDonald's on Walsingham Road where she made friends with many of the other patrons.

She is survived by her daughter, Karen (married to Jan Majewski, Esq.), of Largo, FL,; her youngest brother, William of West Haven; and dozens of cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews, who live in Connecticut and Fano, Italy.  She was predeceased by seven siblings.

She was a parishioner at St. Jerome's Catholic Church in Largo. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Saturday, October 28, 2017 at 11 am directly at Our Lady of Fatima Church, Yalesville. Interment will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Meriden. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family would love for you to make a donation to a local pet rescue group in Ann's name.

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