Vera Lea Anastasi

Vera Lea (Becknell) Anastasi passed away in Fullerton, California on August 5, 2020 at home with her son’s family.  She was 92 years old when she passed.  Vera Anastasi was born on August 14, 1927 in Stark City, Missouri to her parents John Cecil Becknell and Martha Mae Becknell (Wagoner.)

Vera graduated high school in 1945 and worked at the army base, Camp Crowder as a switchboard operator.  She worked there for approximately two years until her marriage in June of 1946 in Boston, Massachusetts to Joseph John Anastasi at St. Anne’s Church.  Vera met her husband on December 3rd in 1945 at a dance at Camp Crowder. They were married for sixty-three years and had thirteen children in twenty-three years.  Vera was a homemaker and an avid pro-life activist who actively protested and provided sidewalk counseling to expectant mothers in defense of the unborn each year.  She was very busy taking care of her large family and many grandchildren for many years and was very consistent in her Catholic faith, attending church every week without fail.

Vera was predeceased by her husband Joseph John Anastasi, her parents John Cecil Becknell and Martha Mae Becknell (Wagoner) as well as her son Joseph J. Anastasi, Jr; her daughter Veronica M. Summers; and her brother Dean Becknell and sister Dorothy Brock.

Vera is survived by her children, Theresa Anastasi, Rita Faccio, Paul Anastasi, Mary Watkins, Loretta Anastasi, Peter Anastasi, Christopher Anastasi, Bernadette Armendarez, Margaret Hoppe, Frank Anastasi and George Anastasi.  She is survived by her siblings John. D. Becknell, Joe M. Becknell and Lorene Woodruff.  Vera leaves a legacy of twenty-seven grandchildren, thirty-two great-grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren as well as innumerable nieces and nephews.

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