Oh no! What terrible news! Annette and I were close friends and neighbors during our formative years. We met in kindergarten at St John the Evangelist School, and then in fifth grade she moved across the street from me. We walked to school together almost every day, she taught me how to cheerlead (I was lousy at it), and we sat on her front stairs to flirt with the neighborhood boys.
We remained close after our respective marriages (two weeks apart) and the birth of our children (within weeks of each other), and through the passing of her young son Michael. Her husband John was a delightful guy, and I ran into him often at Hancock Airport whenever I was in Syracuse. I never saw them again after they moved to Texas, but we remained in touch.
I recall many afternoons from our teenage years where we'd read fashion magazines and decide which outfits would look best on us. (Couldn't afford any of them!) We envied her sister Mary Ann when she got a princess phone for her bedroom. We played charades with the other kids on the block... when we weren't off getting into trouble.
Annette was always a big presence. I'm so sorry that she's gone, and far too soon.
Donna Maurillo
Scotts Valley CA