Anne Claudia Grassi (nee Piano), of Airmont, NY,formerly of Closter, beloved Mother, Spouse, Sister, Aunt, and Friend, passed away on July 2, 2016 in New City, NY. Anne passed just 2 weeks after being diagnosed with small cell lung cancer.<\/p>\n
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A wake will be held Tuesday July 5 between 2-4pm and 7-9pm at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale, NJ.<\/p>\n
Pastor Angela Maddalone (Chaplain at the hospice where Anne spent her last few weeks) will lead prayers at the end of each viewing on Tuesday. Father Jerry Hahn of St. Anthony\u2019s Parish in Northvale will officiate the funeral service on Wednesday July 6 at 10am at the Pizzi Funeral Home. \u00a0Anne will be entombed next to her beloved daughter Jane in Garden of Memories, 300 Soldier Hill Road, Township of Washington, NJ.<\/p>\n
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Anne Grassi was born in the Bronx, NY to Sarah and Anthony Grassi on October 8, 1932.\u00a0 She grew up on Arthur Avenue and studied art at Washington Irving High School in Greenwich Village.\u00a0 After graduating Anne went to work as an administrator at the NBC Radio Network in Manhattan, where she later understudied with the famous talk show star Jinx Falkenburg. A true multi-faceted artist, Anne dabbled in performance art (acting and dancing in several productions) and fine art, creating many paintings and drawings that are treasured by her entire family.<\/p>\n
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She met her future husband Anthony Piano at NBC, and they started a family in 1955. Anne put her career on hold until her three children were teens, and she eventually made her way back to WNBC radio, the flagship station of the NBC radio network, serving as Public Affairs Manager until the station closed in 1988. Anne juggled her full-time career with weekend college at Dominican to obtain her Associate Degree in Liberal Arts. During Anne\u2019s tenure at WNBC, she was responsible for several successful public service campaigns, covering such issues as HIV, Lyme Disease, Addiction, the Homeless in New York, and a wide range of family-related social issues.\u00a0 Anne also produced several public affairs radio programs, regularly filling in as host on Sunday nights. \u00a0In 1987, Anne won the prestigious Gabriel Award for creating, writing, and producing a radio program entitled \u201cAIDS: Fear and Facts.\u201d<\/p>\n
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As the devoted parent of a developmentally disabled child, Anne was instrumental in helping Spectrum for Living get their first facility built in Closter, NJ. Anne was a Closter resident for many years, and helped lobby the Closter Zoning Board to allow Spectrum to build a residential facility for developmentally disabled adults, against the protestations of many Closter residents, who were afraid of a residence for disabled people in their town. Anne always said that engaging in that \u2018battle\u2019 was one of the things she was most proud of.\u00a0 Her daughter Jane was one of the facility\u2019s first residents, and Anne served on their Board of Trustees until Jane\u2019s death in 2011.<\/p>\n
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Anne is preceded in death by her daughter Jane Piano, her sisters Connie Reilly and Janet Johnson, and her brother Robert Grassi.<\/p>\n
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Anne is survived by her son Mark Piano, daughter Claudia Piano, son-in-law Michael Dryden, life partner Anthony Piano, and her beloved nieces Jessica, Jennifer, Cheryl, Andrea, and nephews Robert and Erik. She was adored and loved by many, and respected by all who knew her. She will be missed beyond measure.<\/p>\n
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