William Amanna

William Amanna died peacefully on April 13, 2023. Bill was born in the Bronx, NY, and some of his favorite summers as a child were spent in Bristol, RI. He graduated from Fordham University and began his career in journalism. Bill reveled in his years as a reporter for The Daily Press and Times-Herald, in Virginia, covering the civil rights movement and subsequently for The Record, in New Jersey, covering government, business news, political and police beats. Bill worked for several years in public relations in New York, during which he met and married Frances Amanna, the love of his life. He spent the majority of his career as a press spokesperson and speechwriter for senior executives at IBM and retired as a writer and communications strategy consultant for Executive Communications Group. Bill was an engaging storyteller and history buff and loved to read. He had a deep appreciation for jazz and opera and was a regular at the Five Spot in the late 50s. He also was a lifelong Yankees and Giants fan. Bill was gentle, loving, kind, generous, always with thoughts of others first. He was modest and self-deprecating, with a wit and sense of humor that came easily. Above all, Bill loved his family and friends dearly. The outpouring of love for him is a great comfort to his family. Still, this attempt to sum up the essence of our dearest Bill is bound to come up short. There is simply no way to describe adequately this very special person. Bill is predeceased by his wife, Fran, who died in 2019, and his brother, James, who died in 2008. He is survived by his son Billy and daughter-in-law Jenny (whom he thought of more as his daughter than his daughter-in-law). There will be a funeral Mass at 12 Noon Saturday, May 20, at St. Cecilia Church, Englewood, NJ. In lieu of flowers, Bill’s family asks that donations be made to The Carmelite Missions, whose priests and other workers live among and serve the poor in areas where help is most needed. The address: The Carmelite Missions, c/o St. Cecilia Church, 55 West Demarest Avenue, Englewood NJ, 07631