Great things come in small packages.
She is survived by her children Nancy Bonvicino, husband Nicholas, Stephen Lopez and wife
Maureen. Granddaughters Andrea Bonvicino and Claudia Bonvicino, Sarah Lopez and fiancé
Dylan Hines and Rachel Lopez and partner Thomas Harrigan and many loving family members.
She is predeceased by husband Raymond Lopez, brothers Andres Yturraspe and Raymond
Yturraspe.
Anna Yturraspe may not have shouted it from the rooftops, but she was Basque through and
through. Led by her mother Juana, she and her brother Andres crossed into France to escape
from the planes flying over Mundaka to bomb Guernica. Although they spent nights in the caves
of the Pyrenees mountains, she spoke often of French ice cream. She returned to Spain years
later as “Ani de America”.
They settled in the Bronx where her brothers Andres and Raymond read her diary and hung her
out the window. She married the love of her life, Raymond Lopez, an American Basque.
Together they had two children, Nancy and Stephen. They moved to Hillsdale, New Jersey,
where she hosted many famous family parties where the sangria flowed. She entered the
workforce as a sales associate at Sears, then as a telemetry tech at The Valley Hospital.
Aunt Annie or Tia Ani had multiple chronic, debilitating diseases, but she was stubborn. She
never let them stop her from living life on her terms. She concealed, adapted and kept going,
prioritizing her family.
Mom never needed sugar because she was sweet enough already. She always had chocolate,
half a stick of spearmint gum and a calcium chew for everyone. She loved to stop by for tea and
always brought a treat. She was the person you could talk to, be it for daily phone calls or for
company on long, late night drives.
Nani was devoted to her grandchildren. She came to everything. Every graduation, birthday
party, concert, dance recital, softball game or diving competition, she was at them all and more.
She found her way to the background of every picture. She was the grandma who took you out
of school for Burger King just because. She waited with you for the bus in the morning and was
there at the stop in the afternoon. She knew all your friends. She showed up unannounced if
someone new was coming over. She was always a call away whether to lend an ear, come over
for a hug, or teach you to cook an egg. Her favorite beer was a double IPA. She’d pose to show
off her new haircut and always had something for everyone after a trip to the grocery store. She
loved her four beautiful granddaughters.
A celebration of her life will be held this Fall. Donations in memory of Anna can be made to
Arthritis foundation.
To leave online condolences and fond memories of Anna for the family, please visit www.shinnfuneralhome.com
The Thos L. Shinn Funeral Home was entrusted with the funeral arrangements.
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