Anita Ambrosio
Dec. 1, 1923-Sept. 24, 2022
Palo Alto, CA

Anita Ambrosio was born on December 1, 1923 in Oakland, California to Rose and Ray Warren and passed away on September 24, 2022.

She graduated from Oakland High School and attended UC Berkeley but ended her studies early in order to aid the U.S. war effort during World War II by working as a civilian in a Navy supply depot. During a Navy Officer’s dance, Anita met her future husband, William (Bill) Ambrosio, a Naval Officer and Aviator. To vie for her attention, Bill would buzz Anita’s neighborhood by flying his fighter plane at an extremely low altitude - just to say “hello” to her. The two were married on June 18, 1944, before Bill set off for his third tour in the Pacific.

Soon after the war ended, the couple started a family. As a consequence of Bill’s profession, Anita often found herself in charge of the household, taking care of the children, and moving from base to base. Yet being a Navy wife afforded Anita the opportunity to experience and live in different places around the country (East Coast) and around the world, including Hawaii, Guam, and a trip to Japan. After moving seemingly constantly for over two decades, Bill retired from the Navy and the family settled in Palo Alto.

Although she was traveling to and living in distant places throughout her life, Anita maintained consistent contact with her sister, June Bishop. The sisters were best friends. They would speak often and would, later in life, meet in Oakland to see their parents and relive old memories. The two were such good friends that they, along with their respective families, built and owned a cabin together at Lake Tahoe. Anita greatly enjoyed being at the lake and would spend as much time there as possible.

Anita cared deeply about children. After devoting her life to her own, Anita became a child advocate where she met Ben Garcia, with whom she developed a life-long friendship. She was also a great patron of the St. Labre school for Native Americans and a supporter of St. Anthony's Padua Dining Room Anita’s interests varied widely. Due to her fondness for Oakland and love of sports, Anita became a fan of the Oakland A’s. As a season ticket holder, she was a fixture at A’s home games - seated behind home plate in the second deck. Being a lover of dance, Anita also enjoyed attending the San Francisco Ballet each season with her daughters and her sister.

Anita will always be remembered as a thoughtful and loving woman who always knew the right thing to say and do. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, whom she had been married to for 72 years. Anita is survived by her sister June Bishop, her children William (Pamela), Andrea (Ken), Alisa (Gad), and Angela (Karl) as well as by her seven grandchildren, Christopher, Alexandra, Vincent, Anthony, Gabrielle, Sofia, and Isabela.