Obituary of Ann Nicole Aversa

Ann Nicole Aversa

July 21, 1958 – June 2, 2020

Ann. Annie. Nicki. A-Squared. Aversa-Face. Crazy Cat Lady. Badger Backer. Parrothead. Whatever you chose to call her, we all agree that Ann Nicole Aversa was a simply amazing, mold-breaking human being with an unmatched capacity to live, laugh and love.

We lost our friend to the ravages of kidney failure and diabetes, among other ailments, and grieve not only for our loss but also for the world’s loss. We know she is at peace, and that brings us peace.

To know Annie was to know love. And she had many loves in her lifetime.

Let’s start with the cats.

Annie had cats. Many multiples of cats. And she adored her fur babies. She rescued them from shelters, garbage bins and brown paper bags cruelly tossed along the side of the road (true story). The cats, some of them now beyond their allotted nine lives, include Boo, Bucky, Buffet, Broadway, Buddy, Fred, Brooks and Lennie Briscoe. They were her constant companions, and they loved to nestle in with Annie in her chair, her bed, wherever. Heck, for all we know, they had raincoats and joined Annie in the shower. They were THAT devoted to her.

Annie loved her friends. And, like her cats, she had oodles of them. She was a friend magnet. People of all types were naturally attracted to her – men and women, gays and straights, Dems and Republicans, educators and industry experts, intellects and people driven by emotions. Eclectic people of different ethnicities and avocations. This rag-tag bunch (aka “The Misfit Toys”) reflected her many interests and eccentricities. She shared her love of laughter with us. Repeatedly. And loved us unconditionally – warts and all. She was loyal and never failed in generosity or forgiveness.

Annie loved adventure and was always up for a road trip or vacation anytime, anywhere. She enjoyed Wisconsin Badgers Football and road tripped to games with friends all over the country. She loved the serenity of the backwoods – camping or at her one-time cottage in the Poconos. She also loved the fresh air and freedom of the beach, especially at Provincetown on Cape Cod. She fondly recalled trips abroad with her parents, including Italy, where her father was born and she first learned to observe restraint with grappa.

Annie loved music. For her, it was always 5 o’clock somewhere, and she was always grabbing a friend or two – or a busload – to travel to a Jimmy Buffet concert. Her love for Jimmy and his “toes-in-the-sand” lifestyle led her to concerts near and far – including New York City, Atlantic City, Chicago, Las Vegas and Belize. She also adored Broadway musicals and attended countless shows over the years  – a benefit of living on Long Island and, later, Manhattan.

She loved shopping online. And has cupboards full of LocknLock containers to prove it.

She loved decorating, and made her home a comfortable oasis from reality, and a destination for friends who visited often.

She loved food (mac n cheese, anyone?) and loved preparing and sharing it – a passion passed on from her mother Jean. Nothing brought her greater joy than to gather good friends around a table (or tailgate or campfire) to break bread and wash it all down with an icy cold Corona. Many of us have recipes from her, including her world-famous strawberry salsa. We also remember her precise instructions on how to cook a Usinger’s bratwurst the Wisconsin way.

Though plagued by health issues in recent years, Annie never felt sorry for herself nor would she let her friends ever feel sorry for her. She was fiercely independent and prided herself on her ability to adapt and overcome whatever challenge she faced. We all stand in awe.

In short, Annie loved life and taught us how to be fully present and live for today – something she did right up until she was called Home. Perhaps the lyrics from Rent best capture Annie’s attitude toward life: “There is no future. There is no past. Thank God this moment’s not the last. There is only us. There is only this. Forget regret or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way. No day but today.”

Annie was born on July 21, 1958, in Sharon, Pennsylvania – the only child of Jean (Johnson) and Nicola Aversa. The Aversa family lived in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio before settling in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where they became fast friends with neighbors and spent many memorable hours on the neighborhood lakelet. Annie graduated from Waukesha North High School. Notably, she was part of a committee that helped design and build the facility in 1974, and create the high school’s Northstars nickname, colors and logo. She earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in May 1982, and started her master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before transferring and completing it at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in May 1985. She went on to build a successful career in higher education, focusing on residence life and student affairs, and became a fierce proponent of social justice and access to education. She left an indelible mark wherever she worked, which included the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Marquette University, Temple University, Stony Brook University, and Barnard College. Her many colleagues appreciated her candor, compassion and professionalism. She was detail-oriented, but also able to see the bigger picture, and mentored countless students and colleagues. She retired in 2015 and moved to The Villages in Florida, where she forged especially strong relationships with her neighbors – now part of Annie’s legacy of Misfit Toys.

As we send Annie off to Heaven, we, her friends, want her to know that our hearts are heavy, but also filled with endless gratitude.

Thank you, Annie, for choosing us as your family. You made each and every one of us feel special and the center of your attention.

Thank you, Annie, for making us laugh (often to the point of doubling over), and always being available for a cry. Your wicked wit and sage counsel will be missed.

Thank you, Annie, for always being so thoughtful. Whether it was a phone call, a card or letter (complete with glitter) or a sack lunch, you epitomized kindheartedness.

Thank you, Annie, for being simply amazing you. You can never know how much you have meant to all of us, but we are grateful God put you in our lives at precisely the right place and time – and kept us there. We will see you in the hereafter and expect to pick up the party right where we left off. After all, it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere and there are still memories to be made. God bless.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial to a cause meaningful to Annie:

Colleges & Universities:

University of Wisconsin-Madison

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Stony Brook University

Barnard College

 

Animal Safety & Welfare:

ASPCA

 

End of Life Care:

Hospice of Marion County Florida

 

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