May 30, 2025

Dear Marianne, Bertrum, Natalie and Andrew, my condolences for the loss of your mom and grandmother. She was an incredibly accomplished woman whose influence was felt by all who had the opportunity to meet her. She would always welcome me with a smile and be genuinely pleased to see me when I would visit. How blessed you were to have her in your life for as long as you did. May your many  wonderful memories bring you comfort at this time. And may God bless her as He welcomes her home. Cindy Barrett

May 29, 2025

Ann was my first piano teacher, and inaugurated a lifetime love of music.  After my lessons, she would share many confidences with my mother, Adeline, and as a 7 year old I enjoyed eavesdropping!  My family frequently visited Uncle Mike and Aunt Mary in Canarsie.  I remember Ann’s wedding to which “the kids” were invited (atypical at the time, but an Italian tradition) and recall being told that Lou did all the cooking and baking for that wonderful affair!   I remember visiting her when Cora was a baby and we made eggplant parm together.  We visited in Island Park and enjoyed Lou’s wonderful cheese cake.  We stayed in touch over the years mainly with phone calls and Ann often talked about the house she loved on Treasure Lake, though I never did make it there.  Quiet and unassuming, she was smart, kind and resilient.  A life well lived.  She will be missed.
Ida Messana

May 27, 2025

Ann Rigante was and always be a shining angei in myl llife and my late Husband I met Annin1980 and still close friends with her and her Daughters and family and. Friends An unforgettable smart and good counselor in my troubled times Our friendship was in Baldwin and Island Park New York as well as Dubois Pand Lancaster PA  Truly a. Friend resting south the dear Lord oh tireless worker rest in peace your dear friend Karen M Iovane

May 22, 2025

Anyone who knew Ann understood this: she possessed a rare and captivating strength—the ability to exude grace even in the most honest moments. She could speak a difficult truth with such calm, clarity, and kindness that you never felt judged—only seen. She had a way of offering guidance and expressing her needs with quiet confidence. She never shied away from her convictions, but she shared them in a way that was never forceful, never overbearing. She led through connection, not control. Ann didn’t need to raise her voice to command respect—her very presence invited trust, reflection, and love. She was powerful in the gentlest of ways, and unforgettable because of it.
 
Ann never had to ask for company—people simply gravitated toward her. Whether it was the steady ring of the telephone or neighbors stopping by just to say hello, she was always surrounded by those who wanted to share a story, seek advice, or sit in the comfort of her warmth. She was a sounding board, a fixer, a confidante, a cheerleader. A friend. A mentor. A mother. A grandmother. Somehow, she was all of these things at once. She became exactly what you needed, exactly when you needed it, with no expectation in return. She was a bridge between people, a gentle mediator, a listener of uncommon patience and depth. She was the “ear of all ears”—always open, always attuned, always present. And she always, always, made time.
 
Ann had an extraordinary ability to make people feel welcomed, valued, and seen. She brought joy into the everyday and found magic in the smallest shared interests. I remember when she took me to see Spider-Man—my very first superhero movie. She couldn’t have known then just how much I’d fall in love with those stories, those characters, and worlds beyond our own. But she went with me, just for the fun of taking her grandson out—and in doing so, she unknowingly sparked a lifelong passion. That’s who she was. She showed up, wholeheartedly, wherever joy and connection could be found.
 
That’s who grandmother was. She entered your world, no matter how different it was from hers. She embraced your quirks, your dreams, your laughter—and, in doing so, reminded you that you mattered. She believed in people. She trusted that, deep down, everyone was doing their best. And if someone’s way of living or thinking was different from her own, she didn’t turn away—she leaned in. She acknowledged it, appreciated it, and gently encouraged them to keep going, to see where their unique path might lead.
 
My grandmother was my anchor, my joy, and one of the most special friends I’ve ever had. I will always be grateful for the love she gave so freely, the lessons she shared with such humility, and the legacy of kindness and wisdom she leaves behind. She touched more lives than she ever realized. And the way she lived, she taught us all how to listen more deeply, love more fully, and live with grace.
 
We will carry her forward—in our stories, in our laughter, and in the way we choose to care for one another. Her spirit echoes in every one of us she loved.
 
Thank you, Grandma. For everything.
With all my love,Andrew

May 22, 2025

Dearest Marianne, my deepest and heartfelt condolences to you and the family! I will miss your Mom terribly! My most enjoyable times of my life were when I used to spend the night at your Mom’s, and we’d talk about her time growing up in Brooklyn and IP, and her career. I never got tired of her stories. I’d always go through Lou’s mother’s cookbook, and write down another recipe. We just hung out like a couple of girlfriends; it was a treasure! Growing up, your Mom bestowed upon me many motherly and loving qualities, and I’ll never forget how good she was to me; she treated me like the 3rd Rigante girl 😀. Ann is truly the most selfless person I’ve ever met. She was always putting people before herself. She was always waiting on people and helping them out. I still wonder where she got all that energy her whole life; she was like the “Energizer Bunny.” 😀. I believe Ann is in heaven living in a beautiful chrystal mansion and looking like a georgious Angel 😇, because she was an Angel on earth! God Bless you Mrs. Rigante, I love you! Verene Probst

May 22, 2025

Mom…the world is a much better place because of you.  We see so much love being expressed here by so many lives you have touched, not just those who are Family and friends, but also over the years hearing that so many of your students have reached out.  The lives that you have shaped, and not only those students, but the example you set made THEIR children better people.  Like my mother, you were a pioneer in the social sciences, and what you were able to do, not only as an educator, but also as a social worker, affected so many throughout Long Lsland and PA.  Like you always told me, “I like to listen”.  The world is a better place because you were here, more so because of your wonderful daughter Cora and your granddaughter Tonianne who are the lights of my life.  That light came from you and Louie and hope you are both together for what still is to come.  With deepest love, your son.

May 21, 2025

My deepest condolences to Marianne, Cora and your families. I grew up with your Mom and always spent times at my Uncle Mikes house. Your Mom would always play the piano and I would sit in awe watching her. She taught me how to play Chopsticks and Heart & Soul. Still remember how. My mom would always visit her and Lou in Long Island and they would cook up so many delicious foods.  Ann was a loving gentle woman and she was brilliant. May she Rest In Eternal Peace. God Bless her always. 
Irene Russo

May 21, 2025

Dear Marianne, Natalie, Andrew and Bertrum. The death of Antonina is indeed a sad loss for your family and the people whom she served in her professional life. She has indeed lived a generous and fruitful life of service in Education. May she rest in peace and be welcomed by the Lord who said what you did for the least of my brethren you did to me.
Tony James

May 21, 2025

 Antonina L.Rigante (Aunt Ann) Will always be remembered for the many unplanned times we spent together. Michael get some clothes Aunt Ann is taking you for the weekend. Someone that never gave me advice only solutions and answers. if I got on her nerves, she would get me a frisbee or a kite. Something to occupy me instead of yelling at me. she showed me how to be a good uncle to my nieces and nephew because I did the same thing. My whole family is been telling me to shut up my whole life, but when she  did it. There was a spark in her eye, and a smile, and that’s how I always remember her. Even her anger showed me love. This quality and her came from a mother. I love you godfather Your nephew Michael Busardo