Annamae Joanne Beckmann

Grossman

Devoted Nurse; Cherished Wife And Mother

Annamae Joanne Beckmann Grossman, 77, of Newtown, beloved wife of Dr Robert S. Grossman for 54 years, died on October 30 after a long illness, during the Northeast blizzard, with her husband at her side. Despite the effect of her illness she did not complain and performed her normal activities as long as she could. She was the daughter of Loretta (Pilichowski) Beckmann and John M. Beckmann, and was born April 10, 1934, in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Mrs Grossman was recently able to trace one branch of her family tree to Germany from the 1400s.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by three children, John Grossman, and wife Sonia; David Grossman; and Amy Katriel, and husband Ron. The pride and joy of her life are her four granddaughters and those special to their lives. She is also survived by sister-in-law Ruth Karter and brother-in-law Frank Giarraputo; and several nieces and nephews. A fourth child, Kenneth, died shortly after birth.

She was the sister of Maryann Eichin, and was predeceased by her sisters Loretta Giarraputo and Henrietta Skidd.

Recently her life was greatly enriched by the birth of two great-grandchildren, who also loved to visit with her. And no matter how ill she was, there was always a gift for them, just as she had always done for her granddaughters every time they visited.

Mrs Grossman graduated from Jamaica Vocational High School and Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing with an RN degree. She initially worked as a nurse in the operating room of Long Island Jewish Hospital, where she met her husband, Bob, on the other side of the operating table.

The Grossmans moved to Newtown, where they raised three children with love and devotion. She was always home for them. When the children finished high school, she went to work at Danbury Hospital as an infection control nurse, for many years, until retirement.

She was a devoted and loving wife, and her favorite hobby was cooking gourmet meals, which the entire family looked forward to. She was the consummate homemaker and continued to take care of everything until illness forced her to cut back. In addition to cooking, she was excellent at knitting, crocheting, embroidery, and quilting, as well as an accomplished horseback rider. She also loved reading, particularly mysteries. She was a collector of elephants and had more than 100 on the fireplace mantel. She had a good sense of humor and was always welcome at social gatherings. Mrs Grossman was very adept at expressing her opinions in political discussions. She will be sorely missed by all who knew her.

A Mass of Christian Burial took place Thursday, November 3, at Saint Rose of Lima Church in Newtown, followed by burial at Newtown Village Cemetery.

Donations may be made in her memory to the Mount Sinai School of Nursing Alumni Association, One Gustave Levy Place, Box 1143, New York NY 10029-6574; to Danbury Hospital Development Fund, 24 Hospital Avenue, Danbury CT 06810; or the American Diabetes Association , PO Box 11454, Alexandria VA 22312.

The Newtown Bee       November 2, 2011