If you ever had the privilege of being welcomed into the home of Anna Vaccarella Piperno, you knew you were in the presence of a wonderful lady. Her radiant smile and happy-go-lucky attitude stayed with you long after you left her side.
The love for her family and friends was everything to Annie. She lived life to the fullest until her passing at 93.
Anna was born Sept. 12, 1932, in San Salvatore-Telisino, Benevento, Italy. The youngest of four, she came to the United States at the age of 16 with her mother Theresa, sisters Mary and Rose and brother Peter to reunite with her father, Pelligrino. They landed in Matawan, where many others from her hometown settled.
On June 3, 1961, Annie married her brother’s best friend and next-door neighbor, Michael Vincent James Piperno. She and Mickey raised four children at Crescent Place in Matawan, where they lived from 1962 to 1998 and had many great times and memories.
She loved to travel, garden, sew, make jarred tomatoes, homemade wine, and chase her kids around the house. She was a proud, active member of the Matawan Italian-American Club and was an original member of the St. Clement’s Altar Rosary Society. Anna was an active volunteer for the Girl Scouts of America and a dedicated volunteer for Matawan Youth Baseball. She enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom, when life was simple and cherished for the small moments.
Anna is survived by her four children and spouses, Marie Celeste and Steve Noglows, Michael and Sandy Piperno, Frank and Debbie Piperno, and Paul and Marilyn Piperno, and her 11 grandchildren, Stevie, Analisa, Julia, Micky, Franky, Mikey, Matteo, Anthony, Emily, Adriana and Caroleena.
Anna was preceded in death by her husband, Mickey, and her siblings, Mary, Rose and Peter.
In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org) in her memory would be greatly appreciated.
Visitation was held May 20 and 21 at Day Funeral Home, Keyport. A Mass of Christian Burial was held May 21 at St. Clement’s Church in Matawan. Entombment followed at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Keyport.
The article originally appeared in the May 28 – June 3, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
