Anna Marie Caruselle

Anna Maria Caruselle, 85, of Castleton Corners, the loving matriarch of three generations of family who was known for her gentle nature and sense of style, died Thursday in the Carmel Richmond Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, Dongan Hills, following a long illness.

Born Anna Maria DeMichele in Toro di Campobasso, Italy, Mrs. Caruselle immigrated to Tompkinsville in 1948. She had lived in Castleton Corners since 1966.

She worked with her husband, Paul, for 35 years, running Caru Shop, a coffee shop he owned in Stapleton. She continued to operate the store with her son, Mark, after her husband died in 1987. She retired in 1992.

She was a longtime and active parishioner of St. Teresa's R.C. Church, Castleton Corners, where she was a member of the Golden Age senior citizen's club.

She loved cooking and she cooked extensive Italian Sunday dinners for her large family weekly until illness prevented her from doing so. She also enjoyed annual family vacations in Cape Cod, Mass.

"She was fun, vibrant and had a wonderful sense of style,'' said her daughter, Maria Kennedy. "She was selfless and gentle.''

In addition to her daughter, Maria, Mrs. Caruselle is survived by her sons, Nicholas and Mark; her daughter, Paula Macellari; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

The funeral will be Monday from the Casey Funeral Home, with a Mass at 9:30 a.m. in St. Teresa's Church, both in Castleton Corners. Burial will be in Moravian Cemetery, New Dorp.