Ann Marie Long

Long, Ann Marie (Fanning), entered eternal life on Wednesday, November 25, 2020 at the age of 90 years. She was surrounded by family at her home in North Buffalo.

Ann Marie, affectionally known to her grandchildren as “Annie”, or “Gam Gam”, was born in Buffalo on March 25, 1930. As a child, Ann Marie resided at the Fanning home at 1515 Amherst Street, notably and immediately behind St. Mark’s Church. The parish and surrounding North Buffalo neighborhood would become the backdrop for an incredible life. The second oldest of the seven Fanning children, Ann Marie attended St. Mark School and St. Mary’s Seminary. Graduating from D’Youville College in Buffalo in 1951 with a B.A. in Education, Ann Marie began teaching for the Buffalo Catholic Schools, finally returning home to St. Mark’s School, where she would teach Second Grade for eight years.

The story goes that a young, and still single, Ann Marie Fanning, while in the office of St Mark overheard her principal receive a call that, “Sr. Gerald Long’s brother, Bill Long, had just lost his wife Ann Carland to cancer, leaving four young boys”. How awfully sad, she thought to herself at the time. Little did she realize, that no more than a year later, on October 6, 1962, Ann Marie would marry William A. Long (“the love of her life”) and that very widower with four boys, for whom her heart broke. The two would go on to share a lifetime of love and laughter as well as three additional sons. Of her seven boys, a dear friend and neighbor once said, “Ann Marie, when I think of you, I picture a bunch of muddy sneakers piled up in the back hall.” And so, it was…

As true lover of reading, history, the Buffalo Philharmonic, and travel, Ann Marie was rarely seen without a book in hand. Her love of travel began in 1953, when she boarded a converted WWII battleship and headed for a two-month tour of Europe. After raising her seven boys, Ann Maire traveled back to Europe as well as Russia, Turkey, Israel and Egypt. Later, she would travel with her beloved son John and son-in-law Ben, to China, Japan, the Philippines the Mediterranean, and Australia. Ann Marie cherished trips to see her family in California, to her winter home in Lighthouse Point, Florida and to Ft Erie, Ontario where she and her family would often spend their summers.

Ann Marie spent many years as a “snowbird,” avoiding the sometimes harsh WNY winters, while she loved the spring, summers, and early fall of Buffalo. Friends and neighbors often commented about seeing her walk up Hertel Avenue well into her 80s. She felt blessed to have nine of her grandkids within a mile of the family home. Annie loved the hustle and bustle of her grandkids and their dozens of friends, who also referred to her as Gam Gam, while coming and going.

To the end, she greeted all who would visit “46” Admiral with a welcoming smile as the matriarch of Admiral Road. As she watched over the neighborhood from her chair on the porch of the family home where she lived since 1962, “Luv ya, Hun” was a frequent refrain heard half a block in either direction. With age and life slowing a bit, Annie was famous in her refusal to be

forced to wear a hearing aid. As a result, her boys figured she was just fine without hearing “too much of the goings-on in a house of seven boys”. With not an ounce of judgement in her being, Annie loved time with others at the parties and celebrations, for which North Buffalo is so famous. Never to be forgotten was her appreciation of a well-made Manhattan. In the later years, she opted for glass of Port wine at 4:20pm sharp, which she enjoyed up to the day she passed on.

Annie loved Frank Sinatra and his song “My Way”, which typifies her life, a life well led.

Ann Marie was preceded in death by her husband, William A. Long, two sons, Timothy J. and James L

.( Pam) Long, sisters, Sr. Maureen, Margorie Hughes, brothers, John “Bo” Fanning, Edward Fanning and Thomas Fanning. She is survived by her sons, Michael (Dona), John (Ben), William Jr., Cronan (Kelly), Joseph (Peggy) Long, her brother, Peter Fanning and many nieces and nephews. Annie was also the proud grandmother of 13 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. A memorial will be held at a date to be determined. Donations graciously accepted in her name to Hospice of Buffalo.