Obituary of Anthony N. Speciale

Anthony N. Speciale Sr. Husband ~Father ~Hero I want to share my letter of gratitude to my beautiful husband. Dear Anthony, How can I give you the thanks and adoration you deserve from me. For 27 years, our entire adult life, you were by my side. We laughed, cried, celebrated, dreamed and created a beautiful family. So first, thank you for loving me. What a lucky woman I am to have had such a loyal, caring, hardworking, gentle husband. You always made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, even on the days that was far from being true. You made me laugh, even when we would have a fight, somehow you would do something silly and it would be over. You never held grudges against anyone, you loved life. Food, music, nature, people, sports … you soaked it all in. You taught me to enjoy it all. I promise to live the rest of my days to the fullest. Everywhere I go, I’ll take you with me, we are part of one another and that is Forever, my Jah (little nickname for those who don’t know). Thank you for being the BEST Dad to our children. You loved them with every ounce of your being. The fact that you grew up without a dad made you strive to give our children a beautiful life filled with love. You encouraged them, cheered for them and comforted them. . Whether Alexa was on stage or Anthony was on the field, you were always their biggest fan. But it is the little things you did for them like Sunday morning bagels, stocking the freezer with their favorite treats, taking them sleigh riding when it was freezing, waiting on line for endless hours for Hamilton tickets and trying to always take Anthony to the best Yankee games, that they will always remember. I truly could go on forever. But know that in spite of the fact you were taken from them way to soon, you left them with a strong foundation. You showed Anthony how to be a man, to be strong, never give up, be respectful, work hard and to always put family first. He was your Bud. You taught Alexa to respect herself, showed her how a man should treat a woman, to always follow her dreams, work hard and never give up. She was your star. You led by example and when I look at them I see the best parts of you and I. I am so proud of them and I know you will always be with them, guiding their steps and loving them. Thank you for being my hero. These last few years were some of the hardest of our lives. But there was beauty in it too. I think your battle bought us closer, made us see what was truly important. You took everything in stride. No matter how difficult it was to endure. Through it all you continued to work, take care of everything at home and still made sure our life was happy. Your physical, emotional and mental strength were a sight to behold. In the end you lived on your terms, cancer never stopped you from doing anything. So you did win the battle. I am so very proud to be your wife. So as hard as it is to see you go, I am so happy that you are free of any restrictions and at peace. Ill love you forever and ever. I know you’ll be waiting for me when I get there. Love, Cristina To Our Family and Friends: Thank you for loving Anthony and supporting our family. You knew we needed you and you were there. If you have fond memories please share them, keep Anthony in your heart, he loved you all! To his work family, He loved you too. He was so proud to be a part of Matthews International and the funeral industry. He considered you all family and truly appreciated the love and support you all have shown him over the past 30 years. When the world allows, we will have a beautiful memorial to celebrate Anthony’s life, I hope you will all be there. Love, Cristina, Alexa, Anthony Jr. & Holly (our dog, he loved her)