Ann Louise Woods Dadami, 73, passed away peacefully March 20, 2023. Ann was beloved by her family and friends, who will miss her dearly. In her life she exhibited enormous fortitude, strong American values, a dedication to family, and was a model of sacrifice and perseverance.

Family was always Ann’s top priority and she took great pride in being a good daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, mother, and most importantly, grandmother. She often spoke of childhood memories and spending time with cousins and aunts and uncles. If she wasn’t at home she was likely at Auntie Fran’s house around the corner, who was her “second mom.” Ann or Annie, as many younger cousins and her nephew Mike called her, looked forward to Sunday dinners and summer time visits from the San Jose cousins. Ann always had her sister Joan and brother-in-law Pierre to lean on. Ann was very proud of Joan’s academic achievements and was always impressed with her endless motivation. Pierre held a special place in Ann’s heart and the two of them were great friends. Her mother and father were stabilizing forces to Ann and she greatly missed her dad after he passed.

Ann was a California girl and was especially patriotic. She read historical fiction, watched old war movies, and especially loved the Kennedy era and the 1960’s. In fact, Ann liked older things in general. She looked for and collected antique items, was a huge fan of the Golden Age of Hollywood, listened to doo-wop and oldies classics from her high school days. The Beatles were beloved and she saw them live at the Cow Palace, though couldn’t hear anything they sang due to the screaming Beatlemaniacs, of which she was one. Her love of music lasted a lifetime and was shared with her sons, though it was Josh who took it to heart, becoming a singer, musician and an even greater Beatles fan than Ann. Upon Josh’s death, Ann made a pilgrimage to Liverpool, England to spread ashes on Josh’s behalf hoping to find some kind of closure for herself in the wake of his death, which left a massive hole in her heart. As a last wish, her remains will be buried with Josh's at Queen of Heaven in Lafayette. 

Ann loved to travel as well. Favorite spots around the globe included Carmel, Paris, Italy, and Hawaii. She loved sea turtles and fleur de lis which represented her favorite travel destinations. A weekend getaway to the California coast was just enough to soothe the travel itch. She also enjoyed weekenders to Truckee and Reno with her mom, where together they would play the slots and Keno. For a period, the mother-daughter duo spent time at the Blue Devils Bingo Hall in Concord between sorties to Reno as a way to satisfy their gambling bug. Ann loved card games, even teaching her grandkids Blackjack at an early age, and many board games. She especially enjoyed family game nights during holidays; favorites included Trivial Pursuit, Apples to Apples, Pictionary, and Yahtzee.

Throughout her life Ann loved sports too. In recent times, she followed the Warriors with great intent, and was a lifelong Giants fan. Closer to home, she never missed any of Jason’s games, and her love of sports caught a second wind when grandkids Madison and Cooper began to participate in CYO basketball and track, and later the same sports at Clayton Valley High School. She was their biggest fan and every competition was an opportunity to enjoy life and cheer for her two “lovies.” From day one they could do no wrong in her eyes and she gave them every ounce of love she had. She was steadfast in this and being Nona to them brought her joy beyond words. She loved Madi and Coop more than they could ever know.

Ann often reminisced about “old Concord” and her four years at Clayton Valley High School. She graduated from there in 1967 and considered herself an Eagle for life. She was tickled that her “lovies” also graduated from her alma mater. She made friends wherever she went and was loyal as could be. She and her lifelong friend Sue often shopped together, talked on the phone, and confided in each other. A burger, fries, and a diet Coke was Ann’s favorite meal and sharing that with Sue had special meaning to her. Together they connected with other CVHS classmates at a recent reunion and for years this great group of women scheduled frequent lunches while also maintaining a group text which did wonders for Ann’s emotional well-being.

Ann was also a fan of television, especially loving sit-coms. In the 80’s Thursday nights were her favorite as she looked forward to watching Cheers. She would often get frustrated with Jason for laughing too hard and loud, causing her to miss the next joke. Through the years she watched Friends, Frazier, HGTV, Jeopardy, and several cooking shows. She was an excellent cook and baker. Ann often perused Pinterest looking for the next great recipe to try. Jason marveled at her lasagna, feeling that it was second to none, and he purposely avoided ordering it at restaurants for fear of disappointment. 

Ann was diagnosed with lung cancer in April of 2021. She faced this challenge with grace, dignity, and courage. She was aware her cancer battle was an uphill climb, but the complaints were few, especially in the final weeks. She looked forward to small pleasures like a slice of Hawaiian pizza, a Popeye’s chicken sandwich, a Warriors game, and the hope of a restful night’s sleep. She tried to live by the motto "Impress yourself" which she borrowed from her late Auntie Anne.  As we all tend to be our own worst critics, it's unknown if Ann did impress herself, however without a doubt she made an impression on all who knew her. In the end, Ann was a dedicated mother, a proud Nona, a loyal friend and confidante, an admirer of things gone by, a dreamer in the best sense of the word, and she was meaningful to many. More than anything, Ann was a good person with a pure heart who wanted the best for those she loved. Ann was loved by many and will be greatly missed. 

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