Anna Maria Tassone

Anna Maria Tassone, of Central Square, NY, passed away peacefully in her home after a short illness, surrounded by her loving family on Sunday, September 13th. She was 72 years old. Anna is survived by her children, Loren Vinal of Corning, NY, Richard (Denise) Vinal of East Syracuse, and Charlie (Susan) Vinal of Potomac, MD; her brothers, Samuel, William, and Gerald Tassone; her sister, Linda Clarkson; her life companion, Don Janovsky; and her seven grandchildren, Gabriel, Liam, Emma, Iris, Madeline, Stella and Clare. She is preceded in death by her parents, Dominick and Sally Tassone; and her brother Dominick Tassone. Anna was born on February 16th, 1943 in Liverpool, NY to Dominick and Sally Tassone. As a young girl growing up on Buckley Road, Anna loved to sing opera around the house, play with her siblings and dance. Anna and her older brother Sam won a jitterbug dance contest when Anna was 16. Anna developed her lifelong love of cooking while she and her mom Sally prepared meals for the family. Anna graduated from Liverpool High School in 1961, and shortly afterwards married her high school sweetheart, Larry Vinal, and over five years gave birth to her three children. As a young mom, she not only had a passion for her family, she had a zeal for life, which she often expressed on the dragstrip on Sundays, where she blew past her male counterparts in her race car Sweet Inspiration. Anna was always a tremendously hard worker, starting at an early age at the Modern Bakery on Park Street, where she rose up to be the restaurant and bakery manager. Once her children were of school age, Anna went to night school and earned a college degree in Culinary Arts from the State University of New York, and afterwards taught Culinary Arts at B.O.C.E.S in Auburn, NY. Ever the entrepreneur, she and Larry opened Vinal’s Tonight Food Emporium and Movie House, on Fitzpatrick Street in Syracuse. She later became involved in the marina industry, managing Fisher Bay Marina in Bridgeport, NY. Longing to get back her passion for cooking, Anna left the marina business and opened Anna’s Café, on Teall Avenue, where her customers loved her, and her food even more. Although Anna was an astute business woman in a time when it was rare, her true love and devotion was always her family. Nothing made her happier than spending hours in the kitchen preparing wonderful meals for her children and grandchildren. She particularly enjoyed showing her grandchildren how to cook, and they loved spending time with their grandma. Wherever Anna visited, she always brought a pan of homemade lasagna, bowls of meatballs, and her Italian cookies. In Anna’s later years she met her companion Don, and they enjoyed many years together. As a mother, daughter, companion, friend, sibling, grandmother and business person, Anna always exhibited hard work, love, intellect, passion and humor. She will be missed. A Funeral Mass in celebration of Anna’s life will be held at 10:00 am on Thursday, September 17, 2015 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Liverpool. Entombment will follow at Our Lady of Peace Cemetery, Baldwinsville. Family and friends may call from 5:00 – 8:00 pm on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at the THOMAS J. PIRRO JR. FUNERAL HOME, 3401 Vickery Rd. (corner of Buckley Rd.) North Syracuse, NY.

Anna Maria Tassone

February 16, 1943 - September 13, 2015