Anna Louise Dagna

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our cherished Anna Louise Dagna (nee Schaeffer) at the age of 90. Deeply mourned by her children, Jennifer Tunnicliffe (nee Dagna) and Stephen Dagna and her grandchildren, Zoe Mastromonaco, Austyn Sargo-Dagna, and Liam and Peter Tunnicliffe. She is predeceased by her husband of 63 years, Robert Ugo Dagna and her eldest sister Janet Schaeffer.
Anna's life can best be summed up by her service to the community, her unwavering convictions, and her love of family, sewing, quilting, reading, and playing Scrabble. She had a knack for organizing everything, and friends joked that she was probably home alphabetizing her spice rack. She made friends easily and enjoyed learning about other peoples' lives and interests.
Anna was born in Reading, PA to Ruth and Thomas Schaeffer and was the middle of five children. She had close bonds to her four sisters and brother. Growing up during WWII, she learned the value of conservation and practicality. Anna learned how to sew at an early age, and her love of fashion fueled her to learn more complicated sewing techniques. During a time when pants were not commonly worn by women, Anna was ahead of her time, and made her own pants.
She graduated from Reading High School with a dream of going to college and living in New York City. She left Reading and enrolled in Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School in Montclair, NJ. After she graduated from secretarial school, she accepted a job at a furrier in the fashion district of NYC, where she was a bookkeeper and modeled fur coats. She truly loved being in NYC and took advantage of all it had to offer. As an aficionado of jazz, she attended concerts at the Blue Note, Five Spot, and others. She took in Dodgers games and attended the ballet at Lincoln Center. She eventually took another job as a secretary at Columbia Gas. It was during this time, she met Bob when she attended an Italian Club event and he asked her to dance. After a quick courtship and endless hours talking on the phone, they married in October of 1958, and purchased a co-op in Queens.
Bob got transferred to a job in New Jersey. After an unsuccessful search for an apartment, they purchased their first house in Morris Plains in 1964. Anna never wanted to be a suburban housewife, but she threw herself into building a community for herself and joined Welcome Wagon and a sewing group, which continued in some form with various members for over 40 years. They adopted Jennifer in 1966 and Stephen in 1968. In 1974, she moved her family to Randolph, where they lived for the next 30 years. Anna stayed home to raise her children and became very involved in her children's activities and the community. She developed life-long friendships with many people in Randolph but especially those on the block. She volunteered at the schools' libraries, and many other shool-related events and activities. Most memorably she was the Service Unit Chairwoman for the Morris County Girl Scouts. She spent endless hours ferrying her children to and from swimming lessons, soccer practices and games, and theater rehearsals. When both Jennifer and Stephen were in high school, Anna returned to work. She started working for the Randolph Recreation Department then moved on to various temporary positions, and finally landed a permanent position at AT&T from which she retired in 2002.
In 2003, Anna and Bob sold their home in Randolph and moved into an over 55 community in Rockaway. There they spent the next 20 years enjoying retirement, traveling through Europe, going on cruises, and making friends. Anna joined the quilting club, book club, and the chorus. She made dozens of lap quilts, for patients in nursing homes, and baby blankets for a Moms and Babes program. Anna spent many evenings babysitting Jennifer's children and reorganizing her house.
After Bob passed away in 2020, Anna moved to an independent living facility in Denville where she continued to make new friends and cultivated her Scrabble game. While some of her dreams, like attending college, were never realized, Anna's life was rich with compassion, joy, and love. Her generous spirit will never be forgotten.
Anna is survived by her two children, grandchildren, and siblings – Barbara Mill, Dolores Wenger, and Doug Schaeffer – and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial Visitation 10:00AM - 11:00 AM with a Memorial Service to begin at 11:00 AM on Saturday, October 25, 2025 at Tuttle Funeral Home, 272 Route 10, Randolph, NJ 07869.
Donations in Anna's memory may be made to the Salvation Army in Dover, NJ.