Anita Jean Janzen

| 19 Dec 2021 | 09:53

Anita Jean Janzen of Glenwood, N.J., passed away on Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, after a long illness. She was 91.

Daughter the late Alfredo and Elvira Baggiani, she was born on May 8, 1930, in Philadelphia, Pa. Anita lived in Brooklyn, N.Y., where she raised her family; then moved to uptown Manhattan, where she spent most of her years.

She enjoyed taking classes (including her favorites tai chi and belly dancing) at the YMCA and the Senior Center at Columbia. Most days she could be found galavanting around with other senior members in a close knit group of spunky 80-somethings. She was a true New Yorker walking everywhere but eventually moved to Sussex County.

She had been employed by New York Telephone and retired from Verizon as a customer sales representative in New York City. Anita was a huge animal lover especially cats, which kept her company through the years. She enjoyed the arts and exposed her kids to the culture of the city including bringing them to see Shakespeare at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park or to a museum. Anita was also an accomplished pianist, playing classical music to the joy of everyone around her.

Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her sister, Gloria Ayella. Ms. Janzen is survived by her sons, Rene Howell and his wife, May, of the Glenwood section of Vernon, N.J., and Eric Rotmil and his wife, Paula, of Orlando, Fla.; her daughters, Colette Rotmil of Burbank, Calif., and Michele Swersey of Freeport, N.Y.; 12 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and her beloved cat Freddie.

A special thank you to daughter-in-law, May, and son, Rene, and their family for sharing their home, giving her every comfort and surrounding her with love till the very end. The entire family is also extremely grateful to Compassionate Care Hospice and their amazing nurses, Mary, Michele, and Heather, who went above and beyond.

Graveside funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, at Glenwood Cemetery. Arrangements were made by Pinkel Funeral Home, Sussex, N.J.