Anne Marie Greaney

September 18, 1950 – November 11, 2022

North Hartland, VT

Anne Marie Greaney, 72, passed away on November 11, 2022. Anne was loved dearly and will be sorely missed by her daughter, Christa Greaney, and her husband Joseph Veprauskas; sisters Michelle Wheeler and Joan Greaney; loving nieces, Julianna Makos and Katherine Harrison; great nephews and niece, Zachary, George, and Sage; daughter of the heart, Amy Richardson; and dear cousins in the US, Canada, and Ireland.

In lieu of flowers, Anne would be honored to receive a donation in her memory to the Upper Valley Aquatic Center (UVAC) Water Volleyball Friendship Fund . Checks can be sent to: Upper Valley Aquatic Center, C/O Water Volleyball Friendship Fund for Anne, PO Box 1198, White River Junction, VT 05001. Please include "In Memory of Anne Greaney" in the check memo line. Alternatively, donations can be made online at: https://buy.stripe.com/14k17v791g8p1zO7su

Anne's daughter will be hosting a casual gathering of remembrance at Hilton Garden Inn, Granite Mountain Ballroom, in Lebanon, NH on November 22, 2022. Please stop by between the hours of 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM to share your favorite memories of Anne.

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The following was prepared in loving remembrance of the irreplaceable Anne by her sister Michelle, with some help from daughter Christa…

Anne was born on September 18, 1950 on Long Island, New York. Her journey began with the oft reiterated proclamation that she was THE most beautiful baby. As a spirited young child, she learned the value of good soil as she freely roamed the landscaping, garden fields, greenhouses, and shops of her family's nursery and flower business, earning herself the moniker "Princess of Dirt." After discovering the joy of spaghetti with homemade sauce (an appreciation she carried throughout her entire life) she thus earned a double crown title with "Princess of Spaghetti Sauce."
Anne was one of those rare right-brained/left-brained/left-handed young adults who could carry off a classical piano rendition of Swan Lake as well as twirl a baton, swim like a fish, solve a challenging math equation, deconstruct a complex scientific theory, master a complicated art or craft skill, or achieve a class presidency.

Focused and determined, Anne earned her BA from Dowling College on Long Island while working multiple jobs and raising her young daughter. She moved to Hartland with her daughter in 1982 to be closer to her relocated family. She began her career as a teacher at Windsor Middle and High School where she taught Mathematics and Science from 1984 to her retirement in 2013. She had a great fondness for using the school greenhouse as a teaching tool and to raise flowers and vegetables for student clubs, only stopping when she found some uniquely talented students who used their newly gained skills to grow some plants of an unusual "potted" variety. Anne led students on adventures to Europe through AIFS tours, served as department head, and received yearbook honors from her students. Outside the classroom she was recognized as a dedicated educator and honored as a recipient of the University of Vermont's Outstanding Teacher Award in 2003. Post retirement, she continued to be an ongoing presence at Windsor where she regularly substitute taught until 2019.

Teaching was so much more than how Anne earned a living. While she hated getting up in the dark, she genuinely enjoyed interacting with her students. She often said that the most challenging part of her job was keeping a straight face – especially with the middle schoolers. She relished sharing her passion for mathematics and science with her students and opening their minds to potential new interests. Anne loved reuniting with former students and delighted in having the opportunity to teach some of their children. Her love of teaching extended well beyond the classroom. With the skills of a wizard, a teachable moment was never lost with a child or adult. Ask about planting a tomato and you'd likely get an entire science tutorial on pollination and plant genetics. Wonder out loud about fractions and you'd receive a lesson with a practice worksheet for homework.

As an adult, she challenged herself with building an entire home from soup to nuts, managed the sale of family homes, and became the proud owner of her own home, all while continuing to raise her daughter to successful adulthood and caring for aging parents. Goals were set and met with fierce determination and all accomplished while working two jobs. To supplement her teaching salary, Anne also worked summers and Saturdays at the Hartford Transfer Recycling Center. This was so much more than a side gig to Anne – through good and bad weather, colleagues and customers became friends with fun attached. Her final royal family moniker was "Dump Queen."

A world traveler, Anne traipsed and cruised through multiple countries in Eastern and Western Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean. Even though she was a meticulous planner, side trips and fun, especially for live music, always trumped one of her high-energy itineraries. Walking in the footsteps of her parents' families in Canada and Ireland were highlights of discovery and eventually led her on a merry chase to gaining Irish Citizenship. Her interest in ancestry inspired the author in her to self-published a book about her Irish roots in 1999 and write an article of merit for The Boston Irish Reporter in 2000.

Anne loved the beach and the salt water. She discovered her love of swimming early and earned her life guarding and life saving certificates. She walked the strands and swam the waters of many beaches all over the world. A favorite beach was Long Sands in York, Maine. As soon as the school year ended, you'd find Anne walking the beach hunting for elusive sand dollars or riding the waves on her bodyboard. She owned and captained her own sailboat, which she piloted like a wild Irish Shee-pirate. Stormy weather was a bonus and anyone brave enough to join her was treated to a ride of a lifetime.

Anne's lifelong love of good dirt morphed into an incomparable talent for planting, tending, and harvesting all the growing green things. Trees, shrubs, vines, berries, herbs, vegetables, and flowers were all expertly planted and nurtured. Hardly a weed popped up before it was forcibly extricated from her pretty landscape. A walk through her property left you astounded at her expertise – and with an understanding of why she experienced chronic back pain. Garden harvests were enjoyed and shared fresh, or frozen for the cold winter months. Her spaghetti sauce was unmatched and her ratatouille was just as superb as a bucket of her fresh picked berries that frequently stained many happy faces. Everyone was welcomed into her garden. Little nieces, nephews, and cousins became "gardeners" by snacking on ripe produce or learning to harvest potatoes for the very first time.

In her retirement, Anne joined the Upper Valley Aquatic Center and was a founding member of the infamous Deep Water Volleyball Team. Her time with the team was sacred and her daughter heard "I can't, I have water volleyball" so often that she had it printed on a t-shirt. Anne frequently marveled at her good fortune to have found this cohesive community with incredibly compassionate and humorous friends.

Capturing the essence of Anne is truly impossible. Her family and friends have been fortunate to have had this lively little sprite perched on our shoulders for so many unforgettable years. She loved us, celebrated our achievements, consoled us in our losses and had more fun with us than most people deserve. Anne gave us the gifts of courage, humor, kindness, determination, and an appreciation of a real good stubborn streak. Above all, Anne's most precious gift to her family is her loving and devoted daughter, Christa: The love of her life, a mom's dream come true, and her raison d'etra.

We'll not say goodbye. Instead, we'll say we love you, we'll hold you in our hearts always, and we thank you for the time you spent with us.

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