SALEM – Mrs. Ann “Annie” Pecevich, 95, passed away at her home surrounded by her loving family on Monday, March 29, 2010.
Beloved wife of the late Walter C. Pecevich. Devoted mother of Sandra and her husband Frank Lillo of Saugus, Ross Pecevich and his wife Susan of Salem, loving grandmother to Tara Sciola and Hayley Gaynor. Dear sister of Dorothy Peterson of Southington, CT, and sisters-in-law Claudia Safchuk and her husband William of South Peabody and Stacy Pecevich of Beverly. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
Born in Newington, CT, she was the daughter of Russian immigrants, Theodore and Sophie Novick. She was educated in Southington, CT, and went to Hartford, CT, to earn certification as a beautician while working full time to finance her schooling. At 22, she was the proprietor of her own beauty salon.
Marriage brought her to Salem where she opened Ann's Beauty Studio on Hawthorne Boulevard. After many successful years in her shop, she sold it to join her husband in running Vera's Delicatessen on Main Street in Peabody. For many years they worked seven days a week with their partners, the late Steve and Della Paskowsky also of Salem.
Ann loved her church, St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, and was a tireless worker in behalf of the church. She and Walter maintained an apartment building next to the church to provide revenue for the parish. Through their foresight, this space became the parish's parking lot.
After her family and religion, she loved her garden. She would wait expectantly for the first signs of spring to appear so she could be in her yard. She enjoyed digging into the earth and producing beautiful flowers, vegetables and fruit. These projects built wonderful relationships with her neighbors who would come for advice and to share information. Mary Page, a dear friend, would travel to all the local garden centers with her searching for new additions for their gardens.
She was warm and genuine and her friends included people much younger than she. Ann could reach all generations. She had a contagious laugh that became her most distinctive feature. Healthy eating and exercise were her mantras. Ann made many scrap books with little sayings she would come across on simply how to be a good person and look beyond obstacles. Don't think of her as gone away, her journey's just begun.
Her funeral will be held Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 8:45 am from the Full-Spychalski Funeral Home, 84 Washington Square East, by Salem Common, Salem, followed by a funeral service at 9:30 am at the St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Salem. Visiting hours are Monday from 4 to 7 pm, with a Panikhida service at 6:30 pm. Relatives and friends respectfully invited. Burial is in Greenlawn Cemetery, Salem. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Hospice of the North Shore, 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923. For guest book and directions, visit www.SalemFuneral.com .