Anna Maria Galati, age 87, the beloved matriarch, heart, and foundation of the Galati family, passed away on September 23, 2026, surrounded by her loved ones.
Anna Maria’s greatest legacy was her family. More than anything, she taught those around her what it meant to love without conditions, to show up for one another, and to remain close through every season of life. She didn’t simply speak about the importance of family; she lived it every day.
She had a remarkable way of making every person feel important. Family and friends could go to her with anything, and she would listen intently, often closing her eyes as they spoke and taking in every word. When someone was with Anna Maria, they had her complete attention. No matter how large her family became, she had a gift for making each person feel as though they were the only one in the room.
Anna Maria was born in New Rochelle, New York, where she met the love of her life, Michael Anthony Galati. Together, they began building the life and family that would become their greatest legacy. In 1968, Anna Maria and Michael moved their family to Florida, where they continued raising their children and started to build the family business.
Anna Maria raised five children while working alongside Michael to build a life, a family, a business, and a legacy together. She was a woman of remarkable strength and an unwavering work ethic, never afraid of hard work and always willing to do whatever was needed for her family and the business. That same determination and dedication became deeply rooted in the family she raised and the business she built, shaping the values her children carried into their own lives and ultimately passed down to the generations that followed. Through all of it, family remained at the center of everything she did.
When her sons married, Anna Maria never thought of their wives as daughters-in-law. They became daughters, and she loved them as her own. As grandchildren arrived, she was there to rock, feed, hold, and care for each new baby. Her twelve grandchildren each grew up having their own special relationship and time with their Non. Somehow, she made every one of them feel like her favorite.
As the family continued to grow, so did Anna Maria’s love. She welcomed twenty-one great-grandchildren and poured into them the same affection and devotion she had given the generations before them. Few things brought her greater happiness than seeing the family she had built gathered together.
Through life’s greatest joys and its most difficult moments, Anna Maria often offered the same simple reminder: “It’s the circle of life.” It was a phrase that reflected the way she approached life, with faith, acceptance, perspective, and an understanding that every season was meant to be treasured.
Anna Maria lived a beautiful and full life. Its true measure can be seen in the generations that follow her and in the extraordinary number of people who were fortunate enough to be loved by her. Her legacy lives on in the closeness of her family, in the traditions she created, and in the way her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren continue to care for one another.
Anna Maria was preceded in death by her parents, Carmine and Angelina Guida; her beloved husband, Michael Anthony Galati; and her brother, Orlando Guida.
She is survived by her sister, Carol LaBarbara; her children: Joseph Galati (Jennifer); Carmine Galati (Jane); Frances Galati; Michael Galati Jr. (Mary); and Christopher Galati (Kellie). She is also survived by her twelve grandchildren and their spouses, and her twenty-one great-grandchildren with many more on the way.
Per Anna Maria Galati’s wishes, the family will be holding a private funeral and service.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (see link below).
Anna Maria spent her life creating a family rooted in love, loyalty, and togetherness. Those who knew and loved her will continue that legacy for generations to come.
The circle of life continues, and so does the love she leaves behind. As she always said, “we are all truly blessed”.
Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory 43rd Street Chapel, 604 43rd Street, Bradenton, Florida, is in charge of funeral arrangements.
