Anne Marguerite Spagnuolo DeRose

Anne Spagnuolo DeRose was born in Fowlerville, Michigan on August 5, 1932 and was the third child and third daughter of George and Ellen (Diamante) Spagnuolo. Her siblings and her helped their parents who owned the Spagnuolo Candy and Ice Cream company stores in Fowlerville and Howell, Michigan where they manufactured home-made ice cream and candy.

She attended Fowlerville Public Schools from Kindergarten through Twelfth grade, graduated with honors and received the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Award. After graduation, she attended Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan and graduated in 1955 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Speech and Drama.

She taught at Pershing High School in the English Department in Detroit, Michigan for one year and returned to Fowlerville, Michigan after becoming engaged to Paul DeRose, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame who was serving in the United States Army. They were married in September of 1956 and resided in Lansing, Michigan.

Anne and Paul had seven (7) children: Jacqueline, Julie, Joseph, Jeanne, Jane Ellen, James, and Joan and were married for 67 years prior to Paul’s death in 2024.

When the children were all in school, Anne returned to teaching once again and was employed by the Lansing School District as a teacher, English Department Chairperson and a Program Advisor for 25 years. She received the Program Advisor of the Year Award and Employee of the Month for the Lansing School District. In 1976, still raising children, she completed her Master of Arts Degree from Michigan State University.

Anne enjoyed sharing knowledge. She was passionate with helping others to strive to their potential and applied that passion in her work. In 1992, she received a citation from Mayor McKane for the Person of the Day for the City of Lansing, Michigan achieved because of the accolades of her colleagues. She was a graduate of the Leadership Academy and served on the Superintendent’s Council for multiple years. She was a consultant for Continuing Education and received a grant from the State of Michigan to develop the education programs in four (4) different counties including prisons.

After the children graduated from college, Paul and Anne journeyed to Arizona where they settled in Sun Lakes and immediately got involved.

In addition to her passion for education, she was dedicated to community service. Service ranged from cub scout and girl scout troop leader, Homeowners Association President and Boards of Directors for various community organizations. As a drama major, she had a special place in her heart for the arts. She served on the boards for the Arts Center of Greater Lansing (Michigan), the Sun Lakes Performing Arts Organization (Arizona), and the Chandler Center for the Arts Cultural Foundation. In addition, she served on the Parents’ Council for St. Mary’s College (Notre Dame, Indiana) and on the Chandler Hospital Foundation Board.

She was most resourceful in working with the boards, where often, under Anne’s leadership, the centers received statewide recognition and the treasuries of the organizations increased remarkedly. A friend who was working with a non-profit organization named Neighbors Helping Neighbors (later renamed Neighbors Who Care) asked Anne to help when the non-profit received a $2,000 grant from Intel. They put on five productions at Hamilton High School Auditorium in Chandler, Arizona. The profits paid for a 15-passenger van for use for transporting their clients to doctor appointments, shopping and other purposes.

She received the Chandler Center for the Arts Harriet Barnes-Rickert Award in 2015 for her many years of meaningful advocacy which increased the visibility of the Center and the Applause Award in 2017 in recognition of outstanding contributions to the enrichment of community life through appreciation and support of the arts.

A parishioner of St. Steven’s Parish in Sun Lakes, the late Father E. J. FitzPatrick asked Anne to serve as the pro-life coordinator for the parish. She served for over 20 years as Respect Life Coordinator and worked with the Bishop and Marriage and Respect Life Department of the Diocese of Phoenix, Arizona. The Committee raised 10’s of thousands of dollars each year to assist programs to save innocent children. She also assisted for multiple years with the St. Steven’s Bereavement Ministry. She also served as President of the Ladies Guild. For her dedication, in 2016, Anne was named the Diocesan Woman of the Year award for St. Stevens Parish.

Anne’s loves were God, family, friends, the Catholic Faith, the arts, education/museums, ice cream and bakeries, travel, and bridge/cards. She loved learning about people. There were no limits to her generosity.

This most compassionate and generous woman touched the lives of thousands from Michigan to Arizona. The effects from her creativity and passion to assist others is long lasting. We thank God for the gift of Anne Marguerite Spagnuolo DeRose.

Preceded in death by her husband, Paul; her parents, two of her sisters: Mary Moody and Dorothy (Peter) Capurro and brother Frank (Susan) Spagnuolo. She is survived by her children: Jacqueline DeRose, Julie DeRose, Joseph (Julie L) DeRose, Jeanne (James) Peters, Jane (Brian) Bamman, James (Véronik) DeRose and Joan (Robert) McKinley and three grandchildren: Dominick Peters, Benjamin (Logen) Peters and Elaina DeRose; sister and brother-in-law: Lenore (Pete) Coscarelli, many cousins, nieces and nephews.

The Funeral Service at St. Steven’s Catholic Church located at 24827 South Dobson Road in Sun Lakes, Arizona will be on Friday, January 9, 2026 at 10:00 AM. The live stream of the Funeral Mass may be viewed through https://saintstevensparish.org/. Anne will be flown back to Michigan for entombment with her husband. The Funeral Service in Michigan will be held at St. Gerard Catholic Church located at 4437 West Willow Highway in Lansing, Michigan on Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 10:30 AM and Interment will follow at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery located at 2520 West Willow Street, Lansing, Michigan. The live stream of the Funeral Mass may be viewed through https://stgerard.org.

In lieu of flowers, you may consider making a donation to a Respect Life charity in Anne’s name. She had a special connection to: Pro-Life Arizona (formerly called Life Choices Women’s Clinics) https://giving.myamplify.io//app/giving/lifechoices and Maggie’s Place https://maggiesplace.org/donation/.