OBITUARY
Ana Natalia Cossio Alvarez
December 1, 1913 – November 19, 2011
Ana Natalia (Cossio) Alvarez passed away peacefully on November 19, 2011 at the age of 97. She was a resident of the Life Care Center of the South Shore in Scituate, MA since 2010.
Ana was born in Matanzas, Cuba, on Dec. 1, 1913, the oldest child of Anita (Colosia) and Carlos Cossio. She loved music and started playing the piano at an early age. When she was a young child, Ana moved with her parents and four siblings (Guadalupe, Carlos, Pepe, and Maria Luisa, all deceased) to Madrid, Spain, where she studied piano and later received her diploma in Music from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid. In 1929, Ana and her family returned to Matanzas where she continued her music studies and later married her husband Laureano. After the early death of her husband in 1956, Ana took over, managed and ran the hardware business that had been started by her husband. She was an independent woman who broke with tradition to become a businesswoman in a society that at the time expected recently widowed women to be secluded at home for a period of mourning. She was a pioneer, admired by many, for being one of the first females to successfully run a business in a line that was then associated with men.
Ana emigrated to the United States in 1968 after the Castro communist government of Cuba confiscated her family business. She lived in Chicago where she worked at the Encyclopedia Britannica for many years before retiring. She also lived in Skokie, IL, Miami Beach, FL, Aventura, FL, and Pasadena, CA before moving to Scituate in 2008 with her son Laureano and his wife Janet.
Music was Ana’s passion in life, and specially the music of the great classical composers and composers of the classical music of Spain. Ana was an accomplished pianist and she played the piano and guitar regularly until she was 96 years of age when her health started to fail. Ana was a fashion conscious individual who liked to dress in the latest fashions of the day. She traveled frequently and enjoyed spending time in the beach. She loved her family and cherished being surrounded by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and others. Ana was an inspiration to those who knew her and will be sorely missed by her family.
Ana is survived by her daughter Ana Maria Blanco (Freed Nackley) of Cape Coral, FL; her son Laureano (Janet) Alvarez of Scituate, MA; five grandchildren: Lucio (Patricia) Blanco of Palmetto Bay, FL, Pablo Blanco of Miami, FL, Laureano (Michelle) Alvarez of Santa Clarita, CA, Mark (Therese) Alvarez of Scituate, MA, Catherine (Dion) Tsourides of Plymouth, MA; nine great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and two dear sisters-in-law: Giselda Cossio of Jamaica, NY and Ada V. Cossio of San Jose, Costa Rica.
Visiting will be on Tuesday from 5-8PM at the funeral home. Funeral from the Richardson-Gaffey Funeral Home, 382 First Parish Rd, Scituate on Wednesday, November 23rd at 9AM followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Mary of the Nativity Church, Scituate at 10AM. Interment in St. Mary’s Cemetery will be private. In lieu of flowers donations in Ana’s memory may be made to the Life Care Center of the South Shore, Attn. Activities Director, 309 Driftway, Scituate, MA 02066 to support their music program.
Services
- Visiting Hours Tuesday, November 22, 2011
- Mass of Christian Burial Wednesday, November 23, 2011
REMEMBERING
Ana Natalia Cossio Alvarez
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RECEIVE UPDATESLourdes Holyfield
December 9, 2011
Dear Ana Maria, Laureano and family, my deepest sympathy on the passing of Nena. It has been many years since I saw her but I always remember her looking so pretty and so nice to all of us when we were kids.Those were good times that we will always treasure. My thoughts and prayers are with both of you and your families.
Love,
Lourdes Holyfield (Rivera)
November 27, 2011
Lauriano, Ana Maria and family, I was very sorry to hear about the passing of your mother. She will be greatly missed, our prayers are with all of you.
Alina Vieta and family (Tia Ada's niece)
Laureano J Alvarez
November 27, 2011
Abuela,
You always sang. You have gone to heaven and are now an angel. You will forever be our singing angel. We love you and will miss you.
Brianna and Trenton Alvarez
The McNeely Family
November 23, 2011
Our condolences to the entire Alvarez Family. We did not personally know your Mother, Grand Mother, and Great Grand Mother, but by knowing her family, she had to be an incredible woman. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
MARISA SANTAMARINA
November 23, 2011
WE WILL MISS AND REMEMBER "TIA NENA", BUT SHE ALWAYS WILL BE IN OUR HEARTS AND PRAYERS.
MARISA AND ALBERTO
Fina and Humberto Triana
November 22, 2011
Our deepest condolences to all the Alvarez Family, and also Marisa and Maricarmen. Nena will always be remembered by all of us; our prayers are with you. Besos.
Enrique Sainz
November 22, 2011
Laureano and Ana Maria, Rose and I want to express our deepest sympathy on the passing of your mom. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your entire families during this difficult time. God bless.
The Staff of Richardson-Gaffey Funeral Home
November 22, 2011
Offering our deepest condolences during this difficult time.
David Larsen
November 20, 2011
My sympathies to the Alvarez family. My wife died recently at Life care as well. Ana was a patient there when my wife was. She didn't speak a word of English and was difficult to understand when she was perturbed,but still I loved her when I saw her with my wife in the day room,as well as her caring family. 97 is a ripe old age,still it is hard to spend ones remaining days in a nursing home. God bless all of you. From reading her obituary she obviously was an exceptional woman. We can count ourselves as very lucky to have such as family members who prove themselves to be fine and unique individuals. Sincerely David Larsen
A Heartfelt Message
November 20, 2011
November 19, 2011
We will miss Tia Nena with all our heart. What a wonderful, loving individual. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Alvarez family and all who loved her at this time. God Bless, the Lynch Family - Diana, Greg, Kristina, Ryan and Brandon
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IN THE CARE OF