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Angelina Battani

August 15, 1931 - January 29, 2020
Kalamazoo, MI

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Mass of Christian Burial

Saturday, July 18, 2020
11:00 AM EDT
St. Bonaventure Capuchin Monastery
1820 Mt. Elliott Street
Detroit, MI 48207
(313) 579-2100

Reception immediately following in the Solanus Center.

Web Site

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

St. Bonaventure Capuchin Monastery
1820 Mt. Elliott Street
Detroit, MI 48207
(313) 579-2100
Web Site

National Shrine of St. Jude
Web Site

Life Story / Obituary


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Angelina, Angie, Ang, mom, grandma, Bammy, Bida: beloved mother, grandmother, sister, friend. We miss you.

Born on August 15, 1931 to Italian immigrants Guglielmo (William) & Rina (Polombit) Bonanni, Italian was mom’s first language. It wasn’t until grade school that she started to learn English. It did not hold her back though, because she was an A+ student, graduating from Dominican High School and then the University of Detroit with a degree in Social Work, which she completed after only three years. She was very proud of this accomplishment, as it was rare for women at this time to have a career.

She was the oldest of three kids, growing up as the big sister to brothers Bill and Lou. Her father, Pa, went from digging train ditches to acquiring his own meat distribution route for Froehlich’s in Detroit. Her mother, Ma, stayed home and took care of the family, always cooking, always planting flowers, always sewing, and always visiting with cousins and extended family. The work ethic of her father and the importance of family from her mother shaped who she became in life.

During high school, her family rented a cottage for the summer on Harsens Island, and it was there that she first met her future husband Joe. Coincidentally, it turns out that Pa rented the cottage that Joe’s family owned. They married on February 20, 1954 following Joe’s discharge from the Marines. Together they welcomed three children, Joe Jr., Rina and Cristina. She and Joe loved traveling around the world on business trips with his company, Kelvinator Appliance. They always planned to do more of that in retirement, but Joe’s passing at age 55 changed the course of her life forever.

Most of all, she loved being a grandmother to her seven grandkids, Andrew, Nick, Tori, Jonah, Liv, Sebastian and Jude. She spent endless hours with them, watching them grow, feeding them regardless of whether they were hungry, playing hide and go seek, and giving “geetees” before bedtime.

Besides word search puzzles, one of her greatest “hobbies” was watching the weather channel. We used to joke that she was a meteorologist in a former lifetime. She could recite weather patterns, temperatures and road conditions all over the country. It was a constant source of amusement for us. She also loved to grab the check at restaurants before anyone else could. Arguing over who got to pay became as lively as any sports match.

She loved to walk, travel, go to the movies, exercise class, yoga and was a voracious reader, attending two different book clubs every month. To those that knew her and always those who didn’t, all would marvel at her youthful appearance. Throughout her life, she never looked her age.

She was a devout Catholic, whose faith went beyond attending mass every week. She loved her prayer book, which brought constant comfort in good days and bad.

All who knew Angelina Battani would agree that she was truly beautiful on the inside and out. She lived to love, nurture, and care for others while never asking for anything in return. She took her roles as a wife and mother to heart, but nothing was better than becoming a grandmother later in life. Our lives will never be the same without her here, but her love and her legacy will live on in our hearts forever.

Angelina Battani, died unexpectedly at her home on January 29, 2020. Angelina was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Battani in 1985; and by her brother, Bill Bonanni in 2013. Members of Angelina’s family include her 3 children: Joseph Battani, Rina Battani and Cristina Battani (Anthony Key); 7 grandchildren: Andrew, Nick, Tori, Jonah, Liv, Sebastian and Jude; brother, Lou (Anne) Bonanni; sister-in-law, Carolyn Bonanni and many nieces and nephews. Cremation will take place. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday (July 18) at St. Bonaventure Capuchin Monastery (1820 Mt. Elliott St.; Detroit). Reception immediately following in the Solanus Center. Entombment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield. Please visit Angelina’s personal web page at www.BetzlerLifeStory.com, where you can archive a favorite memory or photo and sign her online guestbook. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Bonaventure Capuchin Monastery or The National Shrine of St. Jude. Betzler Life Story Funeral Home, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900.

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