Anne B. Annunziata
Born in New Haven in 1924, Anne Boffa Annunziata attended New Haven public schools and graduated with honors from Commercial High School in 1941. At age sixteen she had taken an after-school office job using her filing, typing, and stenographic skills. After graduation she continued full time in the same office for ten years before leaving to start a family.
Anne married Frank Annunziata in 1949 and the couple moved to Branford ten years later. All three of their children attended the Branford Public Schools. Now grown, Phyllis lives in Branford and is a guidance counselor in Madison; Jane is a clinical psychologist in McLean, Virginia, where she lives with her husband, Gary, and their thirteen-year-old son, Bret. Son Frank works for SNET and lives in Branford with his wife, Diane, and two children, Christin and Steven Langlois.
During the sixties, Anne was involved with the Junior Musical Arts Society and also with Brownies and Girl Scouts. When the volunteer lunch aide program was initiated in Branford, Anne participated and later became a paid lunch aide.
In 1969, Anne decided to return to her earlier profession and accepted a secretarial position at the new Short Beach School working primarily for Principal Francis Walsh. Not one inclined to lose an asset as valuable as Anne Annunziata, Walsh made sure that she was part of the team when the Intermediate School opened in September 1972.
Always calm in any crisis, Anne was a key person in the smooth running of the school. Before school, at lunch shifts, and at dismissal, the reception area often resembled the triage area of an emergency room. Often single-handedly and always courteously, Anne mentally prioritized and judiciously handled each situation appropriately and efficiently. Her amazing perception of what each individual needed and her ability to meet those needs made her beloved by students, staff, parents, and all who came into contact with her. She made all of us feel better about ourselves, about life, and about our ability to cope. Perhaps part of the secret of Anne's success was that she truly thought of all the students, administrators, faculty, and other staff as her family. She followed the accomplishments and milestones of their families and compiled several huge scrapbooks containing engagement and wedding pictures of faculty, as well as clippings and photos of sports events students were involved in and academic achievements in the school-anything that fostered positive public relations and morale.
Two years following the death of her husband, Anne retired from the Intermediate School in 1989 and has been enjoying her retirement to the fullest-and at a full pace. When she travels to visit Jane and her family, she volunteers in her grandson's classroom, helping with both students and paperwork. When she's here in Branford, three days a week she attends an aerobics group, of which she is secretary-treasurer. She also remains in touch with friends from her own grammar school whom she has known for sixty years as well as retired friends from the Intermediate School. In addition to her visits to Virginia, since her retirement Anne has traveled to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, South Carolina, Kiawah Island, and Hawaii. Her most recent trip took her to Tucson, Arizona, where she had her first horseback riding lesson-and rode for the whole week!
In her position at the front desk of the Intermediate School, Anne displayed the tenderness of a parent and the toughness of an administrator. The students knew she cared about them and respected them, and they always felt comfortable being truthful with her. Thousands of Branford students know her, love her, and are better prepared for life because of their contact with her. Although her title was secretary receptionist, Anne Annunziata was truly a teacher whose subject was life.
Anne married Frank Annunziata in 1949 and the couple moved to Branford ten years later. All three of their children attended the Branford Public Schools. Now grown, Phyllis lives in Branford and is a guidance counselor in Madison; Jane is a clinical psychologist in McLean, Virginia, where she lives with her husband, Gary, and their thirteen-year-old son, Bret. Son Frank works for SNET and lives in Branford with his wife, Diane, and two children, Christin and Steven Langlois.
During the sixties, Anne was involved with the Junior Musical Arts Society and also with Brownies and Girl Scouts. When the volunteer lunch aide program was initiated in Branford, Anne participated and later became a paid lunch aide.
In 1969, Anne decided to return to her earlier profession and accepted a secretarial position at the new Short Beach School working primarily for Principal Francis Walsh. Not one inclined to lose an asset as valuable as Anne Annunziata, Walsh made sure that she was part of the team when the Intermediate School opened in September 1972.
Always calm in any crisis, Anne was a key person in the smooth running of the school. Before school, at lunch shifts, and at dismissal, the reception area often resembled the triage area of an emergency room. Often single-handedly and always courteously, Anne mentally prioritized and judiciously handled each situation appropriately and efficiently. Her amazing perception of what each individual needed and her ability to meet those needs made her beloved by students, staff, parents, and all who came into contact with her. She made all of us feel better about ourselves, about life, and about our ability to cope. Perhaps part of the secret of Anne's success was that she truly thought of all the students, administrators, faculty, and other staff as her family. She followed the accomplishments and milestones of their families and compiled several huge scrapbooks containing engagement and wedding pictures of faculty, as well as clippings and photos of sports events students were involved in and academic achievements in the school-anything that fostered positive public relations and morale.
Two years following the death of her husband, Anne retired from the Intermediate School in 1989 and has been enjoying her retirement to the fullest-and at a full pace. When she travels to visit Jane and her family, she volunteers in her grandson's classroom, helping with both students and paperwork. When she's here in Branford, three days a week she attends an aerobics group, of which she is secretary-treasurer. She also remains in touch with friends from her own grammar school whom she has known for sixty years as well as retired friends from the Intermediate School. In addition to her visits to Virginia, since her retirement Anne has traveled to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, South Carolina, Kiawah Island, and Hawaii. Her most recent trip took her to Tucson, Arizona, where she had her first horseback riding lesson-and rode for the whole week!
In her position at the front desk of the Intermediate School, Anne displayed the tenderness of a parent and the toughness of an administrator. The students knew she cared about them and respected them, and they always felt comfortable being truthful with her. Thousands of Branford students know her, love her, and are better prepared for life because of their contact with her. Although her title was secretary receptionist, Anne Annunziata was truly a teacher whose subject was life.