PEMBROKE- Anna Marie Teresa Varsalone (nee Renna), 76 of Pembroke, joined the Heavenly Father and prior deceased family members in Heaven on January 27, 2022 after a courageous battle with kidney and heart disease. Anna will forever live on in the hearts of her beloved family. Anna was born in Jersey City, NJ on July 25, 1945 to Vito and Teresa (Baldino) Renna. She grew up in Jersey City with her older brother Paul Renna and younger sister Colleen (Renna) Wohlrab. At the age of 16, she began dating childhood friend Bob Varsalone, who would become her life long love for close to 60 years and husband of 53 years. Anna graduated from Jersey City State University in 1967 with a B.A. in Early Childhood Education. She married Bob in 1968 and together they lived the American Dream. Anna and Bob moved to Pembroke, NH in 1977 and raised their family of three children, son Robert A. Varsalone II of Chester, NH, son Jeffrey T. Varsalone of Bedford, NH and daughter Dina Marie Teresa Varsalone of Baltimore, MD. For 25 years, Anna contributed greatly to the Pembroke community as an educator, first as a Second Grade teacher at Pembroke Hill School and then later in Special Education at Pembroke Hill School after earning her Masters Degree in Language and Learning Disabilities with a Concentration in Reading from Notre Dame College at age 52. Anna had a passion for teaching, for her family and extended family and for making sure family and friends were well fed. Her Italian-American heritage was expressed every Sunday morning when the smell of a pot of gravy on the stove and meatballs in the oven permeated the house. There was always enough food to feed the entire town and there were always extra plates ready for whichever of her kids' friends stopped by. She was a second mother to many of her kids' friends and touched many lives in the community as they will fondly remember her as a childhood teacher, a former colleague or a friendly neighbor. Later in life Anna's love for family grew as the family expanded with her son Rob's wife Neva (Foley) Varsalone, Jeff's wife Erin (Carr) Varsalone and Dina's partner James BonTempo. She became Nana Anna to her beloved grandchildren Robby Varsalone (7), Ava Varsalone (5), Aria Varsalone (5) and Giovanni Varsalone (1). She loved her grandchildren with all of her heart and fought hard to be able to continue reading to them, playing with them, cooking for them and loving them. Always the teacher, her grandchildren loved coming to "Pembroke Pre-School" where she taught them to read. Her spirit will live on through her grandchildren and Nana Anna will always be watching over them in Heaven. Anna's life will be celebrated at the Petit-Roan Funeral Home, 167 Main St. in Pembroke on Friday February 4, 2022 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. John the Baptist Church in Allenstown on Saturday February 5, 2022 at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name can be made to the American Kidney Foundation and the American Heart Association. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.petitroan.com