Annamay Hershey

ANNAMAY HERSHEY (nee Lanese) age 93, beloved wife of the late William C. Hershey and longtime companion to the late Donald Walker. Loving mother of William L. (Judy) Hershey, Patricia (Thomas) Dowd, and Susan (Christopher) Gillespie. Devoted grandmother of Megan (Shawn) McGinty, Tom P. (Catherine) Dowd, Dan (Kayla) Dowd, Mike Dowd, Patrick (Kylie) Dowd, Jeremy and Kara Gillespie. Great-grandmother of Raine, Ava, Annabelle, Isabella, Finn, Morgan, Cameron, and Riley. Dearest sister of the late: Marie O'Connell, Thomas "Timmy" Lanese, Tony Zappitielli, Eleanor Caputo, Josephine Minadeo, Kay "Babe" Buzzelli, and Adaline Duncan.

Though born during the Great Depression, Annamay had only positive memories of a childhood filled with extended family and food fresh from the garden. Her siblings and cousins were her rock as a child and were dear to her throughout her lifetime. Through their infamous "Cousins' Club," they laughed, loved, traveled and stayed connected.

Annamay met the love of her life, Bill Hershey, when they were both students at Charles F. Brush High School. Bill was fun loving and outgoing. From him she learned to come out of her shell, to laugh, and to always turn her life's adversities around, make lemonade out of lemons, as they say.

Living with Bill also turned Annamay into a wonderful storyteller. He certainly left her with great material! Favorite stories involved plumbing disasters and "flour everywhere, even in the light fixtures" every time Bill made his beloved homemade pasta.

Annamay was a loving caretaker for several ill family members: her sister Eleanor, her mother-in-law Gram, Bill, and her wonderful late-life partner, Don. She often said she would have become a nurse if her circumstances had been different.

Annamay had a knack for making friends wherever she went, including at Saint Clare School where she worked as an aide for many years. Her family heard stories of the fun she and her co-workers had with the legendary Sister Adalaide, the school principal. Her Shriner friends were among her best and closest, and she was involved in many social activities through that organization.

Cooking and entertaining were her passions, and she was good at both. She and Don would often cook for large groups of friends at their Shrine events. Holidays and family parties were always at "Grandma Ronies" house and featured delicious homemade meals, especially spaghetti and meatballs.

Her family would like to thank the staffs at Mount Saint Joseph Rehab Center and Ames Family Hospice House for their loving care of Annamay during her final years and days.

In memory of Annamay, cook something for a crowd, care for a family member in need, make a new friend, tell a funny story, and most of all, turn all your lemons into lemonade.

In lieu of flowers, donations made to either Shriners Children's (c/o Office of Philanthropy, 2900 N. Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607) by clicking HERE, Mount St. Joseph Rehab Center (21800 Chardon Road, Euclid, OH 44117) by clicking HERE, or Ames Family Hospice House (PO Box 72101, Cleveland OH 44192) by clicking HERE, would be greatly appreciated.

A private graveside service will be held at All Souls Cemetery.

Family and friends are invited to gather and celebrate Annamay's life Saturday, December 27, 2025, from 2-5 PM at DeJOHN-FLYNN-MYLOTT FUNERAL HOME OF WILLOUGHBY HILLS, 28890 CHARDON ROAD (between Bishop Rd. and Rt. 91).