Ann Dion

Ann D. Dion (DiPersio), age 78 of Scituate passed away after a long illness on Sunday January 21, 2018 in her home with her family and her loving dog Harry at her side. She was the wife of the late Paul V. Dion of Cohasset and loving mother to Christie Dion-Doherty and Scott Dion both of Scituate. Most importantly for Ann was that she was the proud and loving grandmother of her “raison d’etre” and four beautiful grandchildren, Shay and Leah Doherty of Scituate and Jake and Nina Dion of Naples Florida. She is survived by her brother, John DiPersio of St Louis, Missouri.

Ann (“Nana”) was born on March 30, 1939 in Boston, Massachusetts. Ann’s father Faustino DiPersio was in the Air Force resulting in Ann moving to many regions of the country including Ohio, California and Tennessee before moving back to Belmont, Massachusetts at age 12. At age 15 she moved with her family to Scituate where she has lived for the rest of her life. After high school she attended Vesper George School of Art.

Although she never graduated she became a self taught appreciator and patron of the arts. She loved and supported many local and regional artists while focusing most of her efforts on her family and her grandchildren. She developed a great love for animals especially dogs, an inherited trait of the entire Dion/DiPersio clan. Her canine “children” included the late great, “Brandy” (Emil von Sternfelson), “Bear”, “Charlie” and her current great furry friend, “Harry”. She was known far and wide for her huge family feasts of pasta and the best meatballs in the world. She leaned left of center politically and she was very proud of this.

She will be remembered for her devotion to her family and for teaching us how to pursue our lives in her image; with elegance and dignity until the very end. “Nana”, we will miss you but will always carry a bit of your spirit in our hearts forever. Although her life was shortened by her illness, she lived a full and happy life. Henry David Thoreau wrote in 1856: “Every blade in the field, every leaf in the forest, lays down its life in its season as beautifully as it was taken up.”

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hours on Wednesday January 24 from 5-7 PM at the Richardson-Gaffey Funeral Home, 382 First Parish Rd, Scituate MA, 02066. A private burial service for invited family and friends will occur Thursday, January 25 at 10 AM at the Cudworth Cemetery.

We request no flowers but that memorial donations be made to Scituate Animal Shelter, 780 Chief Justice Cushing Highway, Scituate, MA, 02066.