Anna De Francesco

Anna De Francesco, 87, passed away on November 16, 2025. She was the beloved wife of Giovanni De Francesco, with whom she shared 66 years of marriage.

Born in Messina, Italy on August 27, 1938, she was the daughter of the late Pietro La Spada and Maria Vitale. Anna was raised and educated in Italy and attended La Torinese Scuola Superiore di Taglio per Sarti e Sarte (High School for Tailors and Seamstresses) in Messina, Italy. She earned two diplomas, specializing in men’s and women’s fine clothing. Anna’s seamstress talents and expertise were highly sought after. She had the ability to design her own patterns based on individual body measurements and personal preferences. She designed and sewed many of her children’s every-day and special-occasion outfits in childhood, and even as adults by special request (because they knew she would not disappoint). In addition to her professional skills, she was a talented and self-taught crocheter of Italian fine bed linens and tablecloths. She always made sure her creations were perfect inside and out. Her legacy will live on in all her clothing, tablecloths, doilies, bed linens, and more that she created.

As a talented cook, she will also live on in her recipes she perfected and shared with friends and family, including her sponge cake, almond biscotti, crispeddi, bread, pizza, tomato sauce (from garden grown tomatoes), bracioli, cutlets, a variety of vegetable dishes, and the list goes on.

She moved with her family to the United States in 1967. Then, raised her family in Belmont and moved to Danvers in 2020. She was the glue and heart of the family, always bringing everyone together.

In addition to her husband, Giovanni, she is survived by her daughter, Antonina and her husband Douglas, her daughter, Maria, and her son Salvatore and his wife Kimberly, eight grandchildren, Sabrina and her husband Michael, Steven, Erica, Ashley and her husband Kenneth, Micaela and her husband William, Stefani, John, and Joseph, her step grandchildren Camden and Palmer, a great grandchild Logan, her siblings Gina La Spada and her husband Stefano, and Joe La Spada and his wife Joanne, and her many nieces and nephews.

She loved her family and friends with all her heart and was much loved in return. She will be sorely missed.

Her Funeral Service will be held at 11AM on Friday, November 21, 2025, at C.R. Lyons & Sons, Funeral Directors, 28 Elm St., Danvers. Visiting hours will be held prior to the service Friday morning from 10-11AM in the funeral home. Burial will be in Annunciation Cemetery, Hobart Street, Danvers. Online directions and condolences are available at www.LyonsFuneral.com