Anne Moston

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our mother, Anne P. Moston, better known as “Mama” to family and close friends. Mama passed peacefully at home on the morning of March 5th at the age of 97.

For many years, Mama was the matriarch of our family – the last surviving member of her generational family, outliving her brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts, friends and even her daughter, Cheryl, who passed five years ago.

We have been incredibly fortunate to have her in our lives for all these years. Throughout all our highlights, lowlights and milestones, Mama has been a huge presence and constant supporter for her children and grandchildren. She was our biggest cheerleader. No matter what we did in our lives, she was always behind us. She proudly championed Cheryl’s title business, Cookie’s political career and hair salon, Joe’s life as a professional musician, and Marc’s embroidery retail business.

Our parents were divorced in the late 1960s. Mama did everything she could as a single woman, working full-time as an executive secretary to provide for her kids. She was there through thick and thin, making every holiday, birthday, and life event memorable for us. Her four children were her whole world. Consequently, she didn’t have much of a personal life outside of her children and extended family. She was fiercely independent and a strong willed woman who lived by herself right up to her last day.

Her biggest joy was having her children come over for dinner. Meatballs and chicken soup were staples at the family gatherings. She was still making them almost to the end. Tied for first, was her passion for the Tampa Bay Rays. She even had a school girl crush on her favorite player, Evan Longoria, who was memorialized in her home in pictures and newspaper articles. Mama had every stat on every player in each game and had them all written down. If we wanted to know a score or batting average, we knew who to call. That was something that kept her thinking young. We used to joke that the only way Mama would talk to any of us during a game would be if we were missing a limb.

To say Mama was a little feisty is an understatement. Everyone who knew her accepted the fact there was no point in arguing with this Sicilian dynamo. But these are the very things that people loved about her. Mama was known to toss out a few of her children’s friends if they were out of line. She took crap from no one. (If you know any of her children, you know where we got it from.)

Mama was a rock, the person we all knew we could count on, the one person who would always be there for us no matter what.

We often thought she could be immortal because she always seemed to keep on going despite any hurdles and health challenges. Everyone else close to her age had passed or was in some type of assisted living situation. She defied the odds.

She was tough, she was independent. She did what she wanted to do. If you tried to corral her in, she would kick down the fence just to show you that she could. She had a great sense of humor (as long as you agreed with it.) Mama wasn’t an overtly social person and was totally content to live by herself without outside influences. Conversely, when she was out, she made an indelible impression on those who met her.

Her life experiences spanned from the Great Depression to the recent Mars Rover landing. Mama saw it all. She lived a good life with the people she loved most.

She did it her way to her very last day.

We love you, Mama. Rest in peace.

Services for Anne P. Moston will be held Friday, March 12th, 2:00 p.m. at St. Jerome’s Catholic Church, 10895 Hamlin Blvd., Largo, FL 33774. In lieu of flowers, we are asking that any donations be made in memory of Anne Moston to Rock of Jesus MB Church, 5940 18th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711 or Beach Community Food Pantry, 1651 1st Street, Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785.