Obituary of Anna M Vai

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Anna (Serlick) Vai. She passed away peacefully on May 3, 2020 at the age of 93 after a brief illness. Anna was born in Camden, New Jersey on October 4, 1926. She met the love of her life, Etalo, while waitressing at a restaurant in Vineland in 1946. They married shortly after, settled in Vineland on the family farm, and started their family. When Anna's children were young, she was a stay at home mom, and a dedicated farmer's wife who assisted with the bookkeeping. She was an exceptional wife and mother, and she cared deeply for her family, friends, and neighbors. Anna enjoyed going on bus trips to the casinos, and playing cards. But she could always be found cooking, which was her passion and those that knew her, knew they could always stop by for a hot meal any time of day. One of her specialties was making fresh pasta, especially tortellinis. She incorporated the produce from the family farm into her meals whenever possible. Sharing her meals with family and friends was one of her many joys. Anna leaves behind her children, Kathleen Stanker (Robert), Pio Vai (Debbie), and David Vai, all of Vineland; one sister, Catherine Young of Washington; eight grandchildren, Robert Stanker (Julie), Christopher Stanker (Lisa), Marc Stanker (Kristin), Lisa Oquendo (Manuel), Kimberly Oebbecke (Christian), Pamela English (Brandon), Kristin Coia (Jimmy), and Kevin Vai (Maria); seventeen great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, Etalo; brother, Albert Serlick, and her daughter-in-law, Diane Vai. Due to the Executive Order by the Governor services will be held privately for the family. In lieu of flowers, please send any donations to Spirit and Truth Ministries, Inc. P.O. Box 89 Vineland, NJ 08362. Arrangements are by DeMarco-Luisi Funeral Home 2755 S. Lincoln Ave., Vineland.