Anna Maria Colandreo

On Saturday, September 20, 2025, Anna Maria Colandreo (nee Gallerizzo), of Rockville, MD, died surrounded by her loved ones. Born in Washington, DC, she then moved to Rockville, MD, where she lived for 60 years. She spent her final 5 years living at “The Nest” with her daughter Rosemarie Allan (Robert), grandchildren Blaine, Sean, and Siena, and sister, Violet.

Anna will be remembered as a woman whose warmth, generosity, and unwavering devotion to family, faith, and community left an indelible mark on all who knew her. Her home was a haven for many, always open to those in need of comfort, guidance, or simply a seat at the table—where her legendary pot of spaghetti never ran dry and there was always room for one more.

Anna was a proud graduate of McKinley Technology High School in Washington, DC, where she met her future husband. They went on to have 8 children, whom she stayed home to raise for many years before embarking on a distinguished, decades-long career at the Food and Drug Administration. While raising her 8 children, Anna served as head of the Parent-Teacher Association and was a trailblazer in establishing one of the area's first afterschool programs—at a time when such resources were virtually nonexistent. At the FDA, Anna played a pivotal role in developing the Operational and Administrative System for Import Support. This groundbreaking system revolutionized tracking for FDA-regulated imports, digitizing a previously manual process, reducing processing times from days to minutes, and saving the federal government an estimated $1.2 billion over 7 years. Her visionary contributions earned her a nomination to a federal women’s leadership development program, where she stood out as one of the few participants not in an executive role. After her retirement, she found profound joy in gardening, welcoming visitors to her home in Ocean City, and spending time with her many grand- and great-grandchildren.

Anna’s legacy is defined not only by her love of family, faith, and professional achievements but by her deep compassion, especially for young women navigating motherhood and hardship. She had a gift for making everyone feel seen, valued, and embraced—bringing countless people into her fold with grace and love. She will be deeply missed and forever cherished.

Anna was the daughter of the late Pietro and Carmela Gallerizzo. She was predeceased by her loving husband of 65 years Biagio “Ben” Colandreo, Sr., and her beloved daughter Giovina Landis (Larry), and is survived by her sister Violet (Silvio), and her remaining children Antoinette, Joseph (Karen), Francis (Leilani), Christina Shawver (Craig), Margaret Doane (Dale), Biagio, Jr. (Cheryl), and Rosemarie Allan (Robert). She also leaves behind seventeen grandchildren, nineteen great-grandchildren, and dozens of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by siblings William (Catherine), Eugene (Betty), Johnny (Maria), Nellie (Norman), and Mary (Buzzy).

The family will receive visitors at Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home, 11800 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD, on Thursday, September 25th, from 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Shrine of St. Jude Catholic Church, 12701 Veirs Mill Rd., Rockville, MD, on Friday, September 26th at 10:30am. Entombment will follow on Monday, September 29th. Attendees will gather at Hines Rinaldi at 9am to process to Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 13801 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Holy Rosary Church www.holyrosarychurchdc.org and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html.