Obituary for Anita C. Lannom (Goggio)
Anita C. (Goggio) Lannom, 94, died on June 14, 2019, at her home in Arlington, MA. She leaves a legacy of love to her large family, a wide circle of devoted friends, and the many caregivers who enriched the last years of her life. Anita was welcoming to all and earned the trust and confidence of those who sought her counsel, always responding with love, compassion, and wisdom.
Her life was filled with the joys of laughter, storytelling, generosity, and hospitality. She was a voracious reader, a masterful solver of crossword puzzles, a gourmet cook, and an avid gardener. She especially loved holidays, and for many years treated family and friends to home-cooked meals and spirited celebrations. Throughout her life, Anita pursued passionate interests in music, education, and social justice.
Anita was born in Toronto in 1925, the daughter of Emma and Emilio Goggio. In 1946, she received a B.A. in Social Work from the University of Toronto. She moved to Rochester, NY, in 1948, after marrying Walter (Bud) Brown. In 1956, she and Bud settled in Lexington, MA, where they raised their four children. Anita’s first marriage ended in 1973. She earned a Master’s degree at Lesley College in the same year and worked as a special education teacher in Arlington Public Schools until her retirement in 1987.
In 1975, Anita married Allen C. Lannom, the longtime conductor of the Masterworks Chorale, and became the loving stepmother of his two grown daughters. Anita and Allen shared a great love of music, travel, and entertaining. Their home was always open to their families and friends. After Allen’s death in 2006, Anita moved to Arlington, MA, where she lived independently for the remainder of her life in the embrace of her large family.
Anita leaves behind her brother, Ernest Goggio; her four children, Paul (Julie) Brown, Susan (Tracy) Adamson, Patricia Chastain, Judy (Tom) Quinn; her two stepdaughters, Luellen (Tom)
Best and Sharon Kent; twenty grandchildren, twenty-six great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren, four nieces, and a nephew.
A memorial service will be held at the First Parish Church in Weston on Thursday, August 8, 2019, at 11:00 am. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Donations in Anita’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (donors@stjude.org).
Her life was filled with the joys of laughter, storytelling, generosity, and hospitality. She was a voracious reader, a masterful solver of crossword puzzles, a gourmet cook, and an avid gardener. She especially loved holidays, and for many years treated family and friends to home-cooked meals and spirited celebrations. Throughout her life, Anita pursued passionate interests in music, education, and social justice.
Anita was born in Toronto in 1925, the daughter of Emma and Emilio Goggio. In 1946, she received a B.A. in Social Work from the University of Toronto. She moved to Rochester, NY, in 1948, after marrying Walter (Bud) Brown. In 1956, she and Bud settled in Lexington, MA, where they raised their four children. Anita’s first marriage ended in 1973. She earned a Master’s degree at Lesley College in the same year and worked as a special education teacher in Arlington Public Schools until her retirement in 1987.
In 1975, Anita married Allen C. Lannom, the longtime conductor of the Masterworks Chorale, and became the loving stepmother of his two grown daughters. Anita and Allen shared a great love of music, travel, and entertaining. Their home was always open to their families and friends. After Allen’s death in 2006, Anita moved to Arlington, MA, where she lived independently for the remainder of her life in the embrace of her large family.
Anita leaves behind her brother, Ernest Goggio; her four children, Paul (Julie) Brown, Susan (Tracy) Adamson, Patricia Chastain, Judy (Tom) Quinn; her two stepdaughters, Luellen (Tom)
Best and Sharon Kent; twenty grandchildren, twenty-six great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren, four nieces, and a nephew.
A memorial service will be held at the First Parish Church in Weston on Thursday, August 8, 2019, at 11:00 am. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Donations in Anita’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (donors@stjude.org).