Obituary of Anna Mura Sagui

Sagui, Anna (nee Mura), aged 109, passed away peacefully on June 11, 2010 at the Holland Christian Home in North Haledon, NJ. She would have reached 110 years of age on July 16, 2010. She was born in Clifton, New Jersey in 1900. When asked her age in the business and religious communities, she would simply respond, "I go with the years." After the millenium, however, all questioning parties needed to add "100" to that philosophy. She was the youngest daughter of Christina (Heisser) Mura and Joseph Mura. She graduated from Holy Trinity Business School, Passaic, and graduated from Strayers Business College in NYC. She also attended Cooper Union. She was a member of Holy Trinity R.C. Church in Passaic, NJ where she served as President of both the Altar Society and Ladies Sodality. After earning her degree in higher education, she worked for various companies in New York City, and in U.S. Civil Service. She married her husband, Andrew J. Sagui on September 29, 1924, and they later moved to Washington D.C. While living in D.C., she was a College level business teacher and was professed as a member of the Lay Fraternity of St. Dominick (formerly "Third Order"), where she served in various capacities including Chairwoman of its newsletter and the Overseas Project. She was also the Treasurer of the Ladies Sodality of St. Anthony's R.C. Church in Washington D.C. Anna's goal in life, as a member of the Laity of Saint Dominick was "to lead a more perfect life for the sanctification of souls - ours and others". In 1954, she and her husband moved to Hollywood, Florida. She was instrumental in formalizing "CCD" at Little Flower Catholic Church in Hollywood, Florida in 1960, when the Archbishop of Broward County delivered a request to reach out to all Catholic public school children in Broward County with an organized CCD program. Her primary focus was South Broward High School, where she diligently worked with students to ensure they learned the catechism and received the sacraments. Anna has previously stated "The training of children shows the way to heaven." She was a religious educator at Barry University in Hollywood, Florida. Anna Chaired the Rosary Committee of The Little Flower Catholic Church in Hollywood, Florida, as a sub-committee of the Catholic Women's Club, for more than 30 years. This office made her proud that she was able to console the sorrowful and pray for the repose of the deceased in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties for decades. Anna has been quoted, saying, "I spent all the free time in my life studying and helping others, leaving no spare time for nonsense". Anna returned to New Jersey in 1999, at the age of 99, to spend the remaining 11 years on this earth close to her surviving family. Her devoted husband Andrew J. passed away in 1981 after 57 years of marriage. In addition to her husband, her brother, and three sisters, she was also pre-deceased by her loving and devoted nieces and nephews: George Frey, Alice (Frey) Schreiber, Myrtle (Frey) Soder, Anna "Viola" Frey, Beatrice "Bunny" (Risser) Yacenko, and Humbert "Bert" Varetoni. Surviving are her nephew, Henry "Hank" Risser of Totowa Borough, NJ; many great-nieces/great nephews, great-grandnieces/great-grand nephews; and several great great grand nieces/great-great-grand nephews. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral from the Festa Memorial Funeral Home, 111 Union Blvd., Totowa, on Monday at 9:00 AM. Funeral Mass to follow at St. James R.C. Church, Totowa at 9:30 AM. Interment at Calvary Cemetery, Paterson. Friends may call Sunday 2-4 and 7-9 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations in Anna's name to the Holland Christian Home, 151 Graham Avenue, North Haledon, NJ 07508 would be greatly appreciated. For more information, go to www.festamemorial.com. .