Obituary: Ann Marie (Vincini) Jacek, 84; Formerly Of Wallingford

WALLINGFORD, CT — (From B.C. Bailey Funeral Home): Ann Marie (Vincini) Jacek, wife of the late Robert Jacek (formerly of Wallingford, CT for 45 years) residing in Lady Lake, FL peacefully passed away on Friday, April 26, 2024, at UF Health Leesburg Hospital in Leesburg, FL at age 84 surrounded by her loving family.

Ann was born in Framingham, MA on Feb. 4, 1940. She was the daughter of the late Florence Maselli Vincini and Enrico Vincini.

She was a graduate of Framingham High School and Framingham State College with a bachelor’s degree. She earned her master’s degree from Central Connecticut State University and earned a 6th year degree from Southern Connecticut State University. She was a therapeutic dietitian at Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain, MA before coming to Connecticut to work as a dietitian at Waterbury Hospital.

She was a home economics teacher for 25 years in Meriden, Southington, and Wallingford, CT at Dag Hammarskjold Middle School where she taught cooking and sewing.

Ann enjoyed holiday and family get-togethers with homemade Italian pastas, pizzas, antipasto, chicken cappelletti soup and homemade wine. She enjoyed bowling, bridge, golfing, swimming at the YMCA and activities at the Wallingford Senior Center. She was an avid Boston Red Sox fan following the games every season, had a sweet tooth for coffee ice cream and liked watching movies.

She took her children on trips to see many states in the USA-Hawaii, Arizona, Utah, California, Nevada, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Maine, skiing in New Hampshire, Vermont, Broadway shows in New York, beaches in Florida, Cape Cod Mass., Rhode Island, Mexico, Bahamas, and St Thomas. Ann liked to travel and visited Ireland, Aruba, Italy, Paris, England, and several cruises.

She volunteered as a "Pierogi Lady" for St. Peter and Paul Church making Polish pierogies and enjoyed sampling the pierogies as part of "quality control.” She was born and raised near Boston, so she acquired a Boston accent that she kept for life even after moving to Connecticut and then to Florida.

Ann is survived by her two children: Jennifer Jacek (Anthony Maio) of Lady Lake, FL with whom Ann resided and Glenn Jacek (Stephanie) of Silver Spring, MD as well as her darling grandchildren: Jillian Jacek and Kenny Jacek of Lady Lake, FL. She is also survived by her sister, Charlene Swett of Shrewsbury, MA; her sister-in-law, Arlene Bedard (sent Ann the daily mass to watch) of Gulf Breeze, FL, her nephews, Gary Dreissen (Maria) of Wallingford, CT and Matthew Swett of Folsom, PA; her nieces, Pam Leighninger of Ontario, CA, Karen Bilinski of San Clemente, CA and Mary Bedard of Gulf Breeze, FL, and may other nieces and nephews.

Ann will also live on in the memories of her grand-nieces and grand-nephews: Alex, David and Daniel Dreissen and Kelly Bilinski, as well as special friends, Antonio and Diane Maio of The Villages, FL, Joanie Brown of Colorado Springs, CO and travel friend Mary Thibodeau of Wallingford, CT. In addition to her parents, Ann was predeceased by her husband Robert Jacek, her brother John Vincini and her sister-in-law, Claire Dreissen.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday May 10, 2024 at 10 a.m. at St. Peter & Paul Church located at 139 North Orchard Street in Wallingford. Interment will follow at St Peter & Paul Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Ann's memory may be made to the Wallingford Family YMCA, Tunnel to Towers or Ss. Peter & Paul Church of Wallingford.

For more information and to leave online condolences, visit B.C. Bailey Funeral Home here.