Obituary of Annabel M. Scanlan

Annabel “Kris” Scanlan died peacefully on January 11, 2024 at the age of ninety-five in Reston, Virginia. She was preceded in death in 1990 by her husband of 42 years, Richard “Pete” Pietropaoli, and in 2015 by her husband of 18 years, Gerald “Jerry” Scanlan. She is survived by six children, Theresa Alexander (John), Betsy Pietropaoli (Bridget), Michael Pietropaoli (Joan), Stephen Pietropaoli (Dawn), Fran Moore (Mark), and Robert Pietropaoli (Lori). She is also survived by six grandchildren, five great grandchildren, and her brother James Krystof of Lowell, MA. She was a beloved mother and grandmother, fiercely proud of her children and delighted by her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Annabel was born in Elmira, New York in 1928, the second of three children, and the only daughter of Frank and Jennie Krystof. She attended school in Elmira Heights, graduating in 1946 from Thomas Edison High School. She was a top student and athlete, with many friends among the “Forty-Six’ers.”  After graduating, she was a secretary at the American Bridgeworks plant in Elmira Heights.

At the Bridgeworks, she met a handsome young engineer, Richard Pietropaoli. They were soon married in 1948, departing Elmira for Colombia South America for Richard’s work. By the mid-1950s, they were parents to four small children and living in Pittsburgh, where Richard worked for United States Steel. Shortly after, they moved to New Jersey and added two more children to the family. Through those years, Annabel took care of the home and raised the family, often single-handedly as Richard’s job took him on the road.

Annabel lost Richard too soon in 1990, but fate intervened in 1996 at the 50^th reunion of Edison’s Class of ’46. She reconnected with her former boyfriend, Jerry Scanlan, who had lost his first wife. They were married in 1997 and had eighteen happy years in Elmira before Jerry’s death in 2015. That year, she moved to Virginia to be closer to her children.

Annabel was an avid consumer of news and current events. Family dinners often involved spirited debate over politics and international affairs. She followed local and national politics closely, and throughout her life made contributions to multiple political campaigns as well as charities. Her competitive spirit was also evident in rousing games of pinochle, a tradition that started with her parents and extended family and carried down through the generations. Finally, she was a lifelong sports fanatic. She followed collegiate and professional sports, with a special love of baseball (Mets, Red Sox), football (Giants, Steelers), and basketball (Knicks). Long before split screen TV, she had three televisions in the living room, tuned to multiple sporting events. She will be sorely missed.

Services for Annabel will be held on Thursday, January 18, 2024 at McInerny Funeral Home, 502 W Water Street, Elmira.  Visitation will be from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., followed by a funeral service at 4:00 p.m.