Anna Rose (DiBiase) Romano

PORTLAND – Anna Rose (DiBiase) Romano, born on March 20, 1928, passed peacefully in Portland on Dec. 4, 2023 surrounded by her loving family at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Grace Romano and Eddie Howard.

Anna was born to Italian immigrants Giacomo and Rosina (D’Emilio) DiBiase on March 20, 1928. She was a life-long resident of her beloved Munjoy Hill, Eastern Promenade, and Fort Allen Park.

She graduated from Portland High School in 1945 proudly winning the prestigious Brown Memorial Medal for academic achievement. After attending Northeastern Business College, she worked for several years at New England Telephone while also helping her parents in their grocery store on Merrill Street. It was in that little family grocery store that her future mother-in-law, Grace Romano, arranged a “chance” meeting between her son, Henry, and Anna. The meeting went very well and Henry and Anna began a courtship typically including an extra relative – father, Giamcomo, sister, Viola, or sometimes a special nephew. It was, after all, a very big Italian family in the late 1940s. Henry survived the chaperones and Anna survived the merciless teasing of Henry’s brothers. They were married in October of 1950, raising six children in the wonderful community of Munjoy Hill.

After raising her children, Anna began working at Lady Grace on Congress Street and in the Maine Mall where she made lifelong friends and lasting relationships. Anna enjoyed spending time with her friends, babysitting her grandchildren, attending their events, solving crossword puzzles, reading, baking and knitting. During this time, Henry and Anna shared their time together gardening, walking on the Eastern Prom, hosting July 4th celebrations and playing Rummy at the kitchen table. They also enjoyed their travels to Italy, Jamaica, Bermuda, London and Spain.

Anna was an exceptionally kind, warm, and welcoming woman who meant so much to so many people. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, great-aunt and friend. Anna was a devout Catholic who was caring and loving at every opportunity. She was the gentlest of mothers who taught her children to be accepting of others.

Anna leaves this world survived by her loving children and their spouses, Anne Romano and David Robinson, Christina Davis, Grace Romano and Eddie Howard, Rick and Jina Romano, Mike Romano and Miguel Guzmán, Daniel and Diane Romano; her grandchildren Michael (Morgan) Papi, Sarah (Fabrice) Romano-Saget, Gabriel (Margaret) Romano, Zöe (Will) Romano, Rosa (Leo) Arensberg, Cosmo (Dez’ree) Romano, Janice (Nick) Pramis, Wendell (Lindsay) Grant, Joseph (Robin) Howard; brother, James and his wife Francesca DiBiase, sisters-in-law Anna DiBiase, Rachel DiBiase, and Sylvia Guidi; great-grandchildren Atreyu, Zion, Lily, Aurelia, Josephine, Isabella and Vivian; along with many nieces and nephews.

Anna’s family is extremely grateful to Anna’s caregiver, Liz, whose visits Mom cherished. They are also appreciative of the wonderful care Anna received from nurse Tarah and Hospice of Southern Maine – Hannah, Beth and Angela.

Anna was predeceased by her grandchild, Joseph Papi; her parents; her husband; her sisters and their husbands Viola (Alfred) Romano, Joan (Albert) Lemelin, her brothers Dominic and Francis DiBiase; her husband’s parents Cosmo and Grace Romano; sisters-in law Anita Mokarzel, Marion Anderson, brothers-in-law Edward, Ralph, Richard and Robert Romano.

Visiting hours will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8 at Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St., Portland. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9 at St Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, 72 Federal St., Portland. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery. Please visit http://www.jonesrichandbarnes.com to sign Anna’s online guest book..

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to

Hospice of Southern Maine.

Anna Rose (DiBiase) Romano