Antoinette J. Giacalone

Annie was truly one of a kind. Feisty, charismatic, endlessly resourceful, and blessed with a quick wit and delightfully naughty sense of humor, she had a way of making herself unforgettable. She was a storyteller, a chatterbox, and a woman whose vibrant spirit drew people to her wherever she went. There was rarely a dull moment in Annie’s company.

Born in St. Louis to Italian immigrant parents, Annie grew up during the Great Depression, learning early the values of hard work, perseverance, and family devotion. Her father sold fruits and vegetables and delivered coal, while her mother worked as a seamstress. Despite the hardships that came with being first-generation Americans, family life was rich with closeness and tradition, including the huge Sunday pasta dinners her mother, Frances, lovingly prepared. Those early experiences shaped Annie’s remarkable resourcefulness and lifelong commitment to caring for others.

At the center of Annie’s life was her deep devotion to family, especially her extraordinary bond with her older sister, Phyllis, whom she considered her very best friend and soulmate. When Phyllis’s husband died suddenly, leaving her with two young children, ages two and a half and five, Annie stepped in to help raise her niece and nephew. The sisters remained inseparable throughout their lives, living together until Phyllis’s passing, just a year and a half before Annie’s own. In Phyllis’s final years, as her health declined, Annie became her fiercest advocate, protector, and constant companion. Their devotion to one another was truly beautiful.

Annie spent over seven decades in the same South St. Louis City home, where generations of family grew up surrounded by her care. From helping raise her niece and nephew to caring for her own mother and later her great-nieces and great-nephew, Annie was a steady, loving presence across generations. She helped shape countless lives through her care, humor, resilience, and unwavering loyalty.

Annie loved cooking, baking, traveling, dressing with pizazz, and, perhaps most of all, talking! She and Phyllis brought their signature Italian flair and perfectly coiffed hair wherever they went, especially during their many travels in their younger years. Annie was the heart of countless holidays, meals, family gatherings, and everyday moments that became treasured memories.

Annie’s gift for friendship was equally remarkable. She cultivated lasting relationships that spanned decades, including cherished friendships with Dwaine Franklin (for over 60 years), and Pam Klueter. Pam, her longtime neighbor and dear friend, was a steadfast presence in Annie’s life, offering extraordinary love, companionship, and support, particularly in her final years. Her family will always be deeply grateful for those friendships and devotion. During her last three years at Clarendale Clayton Assisted Living, Annie was the belle of the ball, beloved by residents and staff alike for her humor, charm, sass, and irrepressible personality.

Annie lived 98 remarkable years, long enough to know and love generations of her family. She faced life’s hardships with determination and grit but never lost the spark and smile that made her so uniquely herself. Her greatest legacy is found in the people she cared for, the relationships she nurtured, and the countless lives made richer simply by knowing her.

Annie was preceded in death by her parents, Salvatore and Frances Giacalone; her brother, Nicholas Giacalone (Antonina); and her sisters, Katherine Frazzetta (Jasper) and Phyllis Oldani (Joe).

She is survived by her niece and nephew, Phyllis Siekmann and John Oldani (Michelle); her great-nieces and great-nephew, whom she loved as her own grandchildren, Rachel Montemayor (Joshua), Alexandra Oldani (Ian Sperry), and Sam Oldani (Aly); and her great-great-niece and great-great-nephews, Avery Grace, Ryan Andrew, and Luke Samuel. Special acknowledgment goes to her nephew, Joe Frazzetta (Olivia), and their immediate family; her niece, Rose Marie Pequignot (Alan); and dear friend and neighbor, Pam Klueter.

Annie chose to donate her body to Saint Louis University School of Medicine. No formal funeral service will be held.

May she rest peacefully, reunited with her beloved sister Phyl, knowing just how deeply she was loved.