Agnes Loretta Anselmo, 73, resident of Weare, NH and Holliston, MA passed away peacefully surrounded by her children on Tuesday, October 4, 2022. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she was the daughter of the late Ellen (Murray) and Charles Reilly. She was the wife of 51 years to the late Nicholas Anselmo.
Agnes loved her lake house in New Hampshire. She was an avid gardener while there and it was her and Nicholas’s “Happy Place.” She was a very active member of the Lake Horace community, frequently planning social events. She loved having her family over for the holidays and for their weekly dinners. She also enjoyed weekly coffee meetings with friends and loved to treat herself to the occasional vanilla ice cream cone. Agnes worked for the Girl Scouts for 25 years with membership development. She was passionate about giving girls opportunities to promote leadership skills and social-emotional development. Never one to slow down, after retirement, she worked as a receptionist at a dental office.
After many years of fighting hematological disease, she was diagnosed with amyloidosis in 2017. She courageously fought the disease, maintaining her independence while simultaneously caring for her husband Nick following his colon cancer diagnosis in 2018 until his death in 2020. Through her illness, she continued to uphold her family traditions as a loving mother and excellent cook, asking nothing of anyone in return. Her resilience and determination were an inspiration to her children and all who met her.
Agnes is survived by her children, Nicholas of Norwood, Lisa of Uxbridge and Lori of Marlborough; her siblings, Thomas and Bernadette Reilly, Matthew Reilly, and Charles and Barbara Reilly all of New Jersey. She also leaves behind her sister-in-law, Rita Reilly of Pennsylvania, brother-in-law, Peter Anselmo of New York, sister-in-law, Elvira Anselmo of New York, and numerous beloved nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her brother, James Reilly.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, October 9th from 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. at the Chesmore Funeral Home of Holliston 854 Washington St. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, October 10th at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church of Holliston. Burial will follow in the parish cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute for Amyloidosis Research 450 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215/dana-Farber.org