Croton Mourns Civic Leader Ann Gallelli, 81

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, NY — Family and friends will pay their respects Thursday and Friday to longtime Croton-on-Hudson civic leader Ann Gallelli, who died Feb. 11 at the age of 81.

"On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the greater Croton community, I write to express our sadness at the passing of longtime colleague Ann Gallelli, former trustee and deputy mayor," Mayor Brian Pugh wrote in an email to the community Thursday. "Ann Gallelli dedicated over 35 years of service to the Village, serving on the Planning Board, the Waterfront Advisory Committee, the Water Control Commission, the Comprehensive Plan Committee and the Board of Trustees.

"I’m grateful to be one of the many residents that had Ann as a friend and mentor. I will always remember Ann--brimming with energy and full of passion for our community," he said.

"Ann devoted herself to the life of our village. Generations of Crotonites will benefit from her contributions. Her passing is a great loss," Pugh said.

Gallelli, a long-time resident of Croton-on-Hudson, NY, died at the age of 81 on February 11, 2024, surrounded by her family. She was born on May 21, 1942, in Batavia, NY, the oldest of three children, to the late Caryl Hedden and Madeline Kelsey.

Ann attended Amherst Central High School in Buffalo, NY and graduated with a B.A. from Stanford University in 1964. She met her husband, John, while both were working for IBM in New York City during the early 1970’s. They later established their home in the Village of Croton and welcomed two children, Carla and John, into the world. While raising their children, Ann started her own data processing and management textbook-writing company (EduText Inc.), writing for national organizations, including IBM.

After retiring from EduText, Ann became actively involved in the local Croton community and dedicated the next 35 years of her life, until her passing, to the Village. Ann held various, significant roles on Village Boards and Committees, including the Board of Trustees, the Planning Board, the Waterfront Advisory Committee, the Water Control Commission, and the Comprehensive Plan Committee.

Ann Gallelli was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2006 and most recently, served as Deputy Mayor for the last 11 years, resigning in November 2023 for health reasons. Her decades of public service and contributions to the community are seen every day throughout the Village from the improvements to Croton Point Avenue to the creation of the beautiful Croton Landing Park and Gouveia Park.

Outside of her community service, Ann enjoyed tennis, golf, travel, knitting and silk screening. She played in local tennis and golf leagues on a regular basis and every year for the last 50+ years, friends and family looked forward to receiving her annual handmade, silk-screened holiday card.
Ann will always be remembered for her kindness, generosity, limitless selflessness to her friends and community and above all, Ann will be remembered for her love and devotion to her family. Ann is survived by her loving husband of 50 years, John N. Gallelli, her daughter Carla N. Gallelli, her son John R. Gallelli, her younger brothers Paul Hedden and Robert Hedden, her niece Gillian Hedden and her beloved cat, Beanie.

Family and friends may pay their respects at Edward F. Carter Funeral Home, 170 Kings Ferry Road, Montrose, NY on Thursday, February 15, 2024, from 4pm to 8pm. A memorial service will be celebrated at 11am on Friday, February 16, 2024, at the Georgianna Grant Meeting Room of the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building, 1 Van Wyck Street, Croton-on-Hudson, NY.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to the Croton Caring Committee (www.crotoncaring.org) or to the Croton Arboretum (www.crotonarboretum.org), two local organizations that Ann cared for deeply.

Edward F. Carter Funeral Home is handling arrangements.