Anna Kearns Daniels

Anna Marie Kearns Daniels, née Shon, née Scianna, passed away on April 6, 2010. Anna was born on February 7, 1913, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Salvatore and Anna Catanzaro Shon, née Scianna. She was one of eight children: Josephine, Antoinette, Frances, Joseph, Samuel, Margaret, and Angelina. Her father valued education or craft trades for all of his children, and in 1935 Anna graduated from Duquesne University. She touched the lives of many children during her 50-year teaching career, spending more than half of that time at William C. Jack School in Glendale. She married her wartime love John Kearns in 1942. They had 2 sons, Michael (Roxanne) and Sam (Veronica), ex-daughter-in-law Melody Berkheiser, and grandchildren Sherri (Brian), John, Jim, Ed (Nicole), and Aaron, followed by great-grandchildren David and Bridgitte. Anna had 14 nieces and nephews. John passed away in 1979 and several years later Anna married Bill Daniels. Her loved ones remember her delight in family celebrations — always with an abundance of delicious, home-cooked Italian-American food and plenty of laughter. Anna made sure that no friend or family member (2-legged or 4-legged) ever left the table hungry. She made the best spaghetti sauce, meatballs, mashed potatoes, lasagna, macaroni cheese and peanut butter cookies that the world has ever tasted! Anna loved to go out to eat and then to the park to feed the ducks with Suzanne, Richard, Earl, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She had high praise for the care and culinary delights provided to her by George and Mariana at Meridian Assisted Living Home. As an eternal child, her grandchildren remember how much she loved to play with them; games like Skipbo, Rummy 500 and Crazy Eights, splashing in the back yard pool, baking dozens of cookies and making Christmas ornaments with their beloved Grandma. Even chores were fun when working with Grandma. Busy all the time, yet always taking time for us, Anna was a constant example of innumerable virtues, chief among them being love, strength, family, hospitality, tidiness, generosity and hard work. Anna was a friend, mentor, hero and guru who will forever be in our hearts. She was the center of our family, its matriarch, and the sun around which we all revolved. We are truly blessed to have been loved by the most wonderful Mother, Grandmother, Great-grandmother, Aunt and friend. Arrangements made by Menke Funeral & Cremation Center, 12420 N. 103rd Ave., Sun City, AZ. Memorial services pending.