Anna Janelli

Anna Janelli Anna Janelli of Union City, NJ passed away on August 17, 2020 at 92-years-old. She was pre-deceased by her parents, Giuseppe and Grace; her siblings, August, Marco, Alice, Jenny, Stephen, John, Margaret, and Josephine; and her husband, Daniel, Sr. She is survived by her sons Daniel, Jr. (Doreen), John (Carol), and Steve (Beverly); her granddaughters Angela (Anthony), Maria (Genna), Danielle (Kyle), Jessica, and Stefani; and by the greatest loves of her life, Anna, Abigail, Allison, Amelia, Rebecca, and Francesca. Anna lived a life of hard work, devotion to her family, and unshakeable faith. She grew up in Hoboken, NJ with her parents and siblings. As a child, she helped her family at their bakery. She left school during World War II to support the war effort by making lightbulbs at a GE factory. She would go on to spend the next five decades working at Macy's Herald Square, being a school crossing guard on Kennedy Boulevard, cleaning homes in Hudson County, welcoming early morning exercisers at Total Fitness and In Training gyms, and serving as a Cub Scout Den Mother, St. Joseph School PTA officer, and the President of the Sacred Heart Society at Sts. Joseph and Michael's parish, which she did for more than 20 years. She was also a member of the Veronica's Veil Guild, the Third Order of St. Francis, the original St. Anne's Guild, and Human Rights Watch. When Anna wasn't working, she was at home on 11th Street, blending tomatoes for gravy in the early morning hours, talking with one of her siblings over yet another pot of coffee, or frying meatballs for Sunday dinner. Her kitchen was the locus of life, the center of gravity around which five generations of Anna's family orbited. To know Anna was to know God. Nothing was more important to her than her faith and her unwavering belief in eternal life. She was a devout Catholic, beseeching her Lord for salvation until the very end. Anna is now celebrating with the angels, and with all of her ancestors, friends, and loved ones who welcomed her into Heaven. She will be missed, but never forgotten. The family will receive friends on Thursday, August 20th, from 3:00 - 7:00 pm at Leber Funeral Home in Union City. The funeral Mass will be held on Friday, August 21st, at 10:30 am at Sts. Joseph and Michael's Church in Union City. Anna always said that she only wanted flowers while she was alive to enjoy them. To honor that sentiment, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Sacred Heart Society of Sts. Joseph and Michael's parish in Union City, NJ.