Anna M. Swing, 91, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, on Thursday, August 1, 2024. Born in 1933 in Queens, NY, she spent most of her life in Brooklyn, NY and then her later years in NJ. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Although Anna faced many challenges throughout her life, that formed her tough exterior, her love for her family and her kindness to others remained unwavering. A dedicated worker, she always put her family first, remaining active and caring throughout her life. From her early years, when she began working as a teenager and helping her childhood family, to later working multiple jobs as the primary provider for her family, Anna exemplified hard work and instilled that value in her children. Whether caring for seniors at one of her many jobs or encouraging her children to help a neighbor, she consistently thought of others before herself.
Anna’s family meant the world to her. Though life had given her a tough exterior, her loved ones knew how to break through it—whether through laughter over a game of cards, playing the world’s tiniest violin for her son-in-law, or enjoying balloon games with her great-grandson. Her grandchildren learned that if you told grandma they liked something, she would remember and for the rest of her life she was going to have it on hand because you told her 15 years earlier you liked it. She may never have said it outright, but we all knew her proudest moments were when her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren gathered together for family get-togethers, knowing that she had made it all possible.
As the matriarch of her family, Anna was predeceased by her son, Daniel. She is survived by five daughters, Barbara Elwyn (Robert), Patricia Jurpalis (Al), Ann Chan (Dan), Margaret Swing (Angel), and Frances; her son William (Maria); her daughter-in-law Jeanann; thirteen grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 6th between 4pm and 8pm at DeGraff Lakehurst Funeral Home, 119 Union Ave., Lakehurst. Interment will take place at 1pm on Wednesday, August 7th, at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Cemetery, 350 Provinceline Rd., Arneytown. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her memory to Center for Hope Hospice, 1900 Raritan Road, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076 or your local food bank.