Anne Lenore Rinalducci

Anne Lenore Rinalducci, 83, of Savannah, Georgia died Saturday, April 22, at home with her children by her side after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Anne was born March 29, 1940 in Exeter, New Hampshire to Homer A. Johnson and Elsa Aitken Johnson. She grew up in Hampton, NH, alongside her brothers Homer A. Johnson, Jr. and Bruce Johnson. Her early years were spent helping her parents run The Acorn Village and Motel on Hampton Beach, attending school, and making life-long friends.

She met her husband of 58 years, Edward J Rinalducci, while earning a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Social Work at the University of New Hampshire. They made their life together wherever his academic career took them: Rochester, NY; Charlottesville, VA; Atlanta, GA; and Orlando, FL. Her final years were spent living close to family in Savannah, GA.

Anne created a home that was a haven of love and support for her family, many friends, and beloved cats. She hosted dinners for her husband’s students, was an active member of various University women’s clubs, and traveled with her husband on study abroad trips, including a semester in Florence, Italy.

She was an avid Mahjong and bridge player for many years and developed a close network of friends through her playing. She enjoyed shopping for herself and for others, frequently buying little gifts for friends and family. She remained close to her family in New Hampshire all of her life, frequently taking her children and grandchildren to visit over the years. She kept up with her eleven nephews and nieces, as well as their spouses, maintaining especially close relationship with many of them.

In addition to raising three children, Anne welcomed her husband’s parents into her home, eventually caring for her aging mother-in-law, for 25 years. She was a doting grandmother, frequently taking her grandchildren to Disney World, Universal Studios, and on trips abroad. Just last year, she traveled to New York City to see her granddaughter settled in her new city.

Anne’s deep love for family included her children’s spouses, whom she always treated as her own children.

When she lost her eldest daughter to cancer, Anne became particularly dedicated to showering her youngest granddaughter with love and support. And when her widowed son-in-law remarried, she embraced his second wife with unconditional acceptance and kindness. This generosity of spirit was also evident in the way she embraced her step-grandson as one of her own. Well into her illness, as she forgot so much about her life, she remembered who he was and took delight in the sign he gave her that said, “Grandmothers make the world a better place.”

Anne’s loving spirit was contagious, and she never met a stranger. Within moments of meeting someone, she learned their life story – from the bag boy at the grocery store to the doctors at the hospital. She never failed to find the good in people or the positive in a situation. Her laughter was gentle and came often. Anne’s family often teased her about her tendency to lose her keys or leave an ice cream cake out so long it melted, but she never forgot to call her children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces, many of whom she talked to on a daily basis right up until she was not well enough to do so.

Anne was her husband’s constant and faithful companion. She was her daughters’ best friend. She was her son’s moral support. Anne was the center of gravity for her family.
She made the world a better place.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brother Bruce, and her beloved daughter, Susan Rinalducci Allen.

Survivors include her son, Edward “Ned” James Rinalducci, Jr., PhD, and his wife, Jolene Byrne; her daughter, Jennifer L. Rinalducci, and six grandchildren, Justin Allen, Nathan Allen, Hailey Allen, Karina Rinalducci, Mason Rinalducci, and Liam Byrne.

A gathering to celebrate Anne’s life will be held this summer in New Hampshire.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Hospice Savannah.