Obituary of Anne DiBella Fritz

Anne (Dibella) Fritz, 87, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015, surrounded by family after a battle with Alzheimer’s. She was born in Hartford July 26, 1928, the daughter of the late Francis DiBella and Rose (Ricciardone) DiBella. After graduating from Weaver High School, Anne went to work at Travelers as a comptometrist, where she met her husband Walter, who predeceased her in 1996. They married in 1953 in Hartford and moved to Glastonbury in 1954, where they spent many happy years raising their two wonderful sons Donald and Warren, entertaining family and friends, and enjoying the community on Arrowhead Drive. Together, the two enjoyed trips to Cape Cod and Cape May and up to their summer home in Vermont – a place that was old and neglected before they came along. With family and friends, they brought it back to life, filled it with love, and turned it into a place that's enjoyed to this day. Anne loved the music of Frank Sinatra and the entire Rat Pack. She loved to dance, and up until a few years ago it wasn’t uncommon for her to spontaneously break into a soft shoe while she sang “Tea for Two.” She was a fan of animals, particularly dogs, which she’d been around all her life. More than once she said, “Unlike people, I never met a dog I didn’t like.” And yet, alternately, she was also known for saying, “I've never met a stranger in my life,” and could make friends wherever she went. Anne was a firecracker. She was full of jokes and spoke her mind. She was a meticulous homemaker, a fantastic cook, and a gracious host. But most importantly, she was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. Along with her husband and parents, Anne was predeceased by her Aunt Jule, her sister Rose Vasquez and her brothers John, Andrew, Richard, and Michael DiBella. She is survived by her son Donald and his wife Sally of West Hartford, and son Warren of Glastonbury; grandchildren Ben, Tim, Sam, Kerry, Joshua and Rebecca; her sister-in-law Virginia Ferrante of New Jersey; numerous nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and nephews – all who loved her dearly. The family wishes to thank her primary caregivers , including Warren, who devoted endless time to her care and well-being, her beloved niece Linda Clark of Glastonbury, and Debbie Eferwerda of Coventry. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday (Dec. 15) at 10:30am in St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church, 285 Church St., Hartford. Burial will follow in St. Augustine Cemetery, South Glastonbury. Friends may call at the Mulryan Funeral Home, 725 Hebron Ave., Glastonbury on Monday (Dec. 14) from 5-7pm. In lieu of flowers – which Anne was allergic to – donations may be made in her name to the Alzheimer’s Association, 200 Executive Blvd., Southington, CT. 06489 or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. For online condolences please visit www.mulryanfh.com.