Ann G. Ceraso

Ann Gloria (Lanziero) Ceraso, age 94, of Hamden, CT, peacefully entered into eternal rest surrounded by family on Monday, April 22, 2019 after a long, but very courageous and gracious battle with several health issues. She was the beloved wife of 59 years to the late Matteo Ceraso. Ann was born in New Haven, CT on October 29, 1924, a daughter of the late Antonio and Filomena (Cocco) Lanziero. Ann and her seven siblings had a wonderful childhood, living in several multi-cultural sections of New Haven. Ann attended Commercial High School, where she met the love of her life, Matteo Ceraso. Ann and Matteo were both very serious, successful students, and after a fun-filled courtship, and upon Matteo's return from service in WWII, they were joined in marriage in November 1946. As a young woman, Ann worked in the New Haven Clock Shop, and after becoming a mother, she worked for a number of years on spring, summer and fall weekends at a family-owned restaurant (The Clam Spa) in West Haven's famed Savin Rock amusement park section. Later on, Ann worked at a variety of Pegnataro's grocery stores throughout the greater New Haven area for nearly thirty years, until her retirement in the mid-1980's. Ann was involved in many activities, interests, and passions, ranging from bowling, baking, knitting, gardening, an occasional visit to the casino, cooking great family dinners and delicious desserts, and hosting regular Friday evening and Sunday afternoon 'coffee-time' with her children and grandchildren. She thoroughly enjoyed preparing for and hosting large holiday family dinners and parties, but most of all, she enjoyed the times spent with her grandchildren as they grew, experiencing and celebrating their accomplishments. Ann very successfully transferred her passionate concern for maintaining close and unbreakable family relationships, sustaining and continuing family ethno-cultural traditions, and acknowledging and respecting multi-culturalism to each of her children. In turn, each of her children have forwarded those concerns as critically important values to their own children, maintaining an intrinsic Ceraso family tradition. Ann is survived, and will be dearly missed, by her loving and devoted children, Michael and his wife Jody (Kamens); Mark and his wife Denise (Massini); and Cheryl and her husband Barry Hurwitz. She is also survived by her beloved, adored, and admired grandchildren, Melissa (Hayden) Karp, David A. Ceraso, Vanessa A. Ceraso, and Matthew M. Hurwitz; a sister, Madeline (Nicholas) Mastracchio of Hamden, sisters-in-law Angelina and Grace Ceraso of Hamden, and a host of nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and her beloved husband Matteo, Ann was predeceased by her brothers, Ralph, Donald, James, Frank, and Anthony, Jr., and sister, Katherine (Venditto). Friends may call Thursday morning from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. at BEECHER & BENNETT, 2300 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, CT 06518. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday morning at 11:00 a.m. in Blessed Sacrament Church in Hamden. Burial will follow in All Saints Cemetery in North Haven. Memorial contributions in her honor may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.