Anna (DiPalma) Croft 93, of Newton and recently Plymouth, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. She was the beloved daughter of Giuseppe DiPalma and Lucy (DiLoffi) DiPalma (deceased), sister of Anthony DiPalma (deceased), and Dan DiPalma. She is survived by her brother Dan and her daughters, Su D’Ambrosio and Nancy Cook, son-in-law Jeff Cook, and grandchildren Maria D’Ambrosio, Kevin Dice (spouse), Jennifer Cook, Adam Cook, Annahita Forghan (spouse), and Luca D’Ambrosio.
Anna led a full and rich life as a career woman and mother. She attended Our Lady Help of Christians High School and after graduation trained to be a secretary. She was an exceptional secretary and Administrative Assistant known for her impeccable attention to detail and strong organization and typing skills. When she had her children in the 1960s, she continued to work at home, which was a unique model at that time. In 1985 she went back to college to pursue a degree in social work and graduated in 1989 from Simmons College. With her degree, she entered the field of social work serving many people with special needs as a case worker. She worked tirelessly to ensure that they received all the services that they needed.
Throughout her life she pursued many hobbies and activities. She enjoyed traveling with family and friends, taking cruise vacations, and especially enjoyed her trips to Florida and Disney World. She loved her car and often took long drives to discover new places. She was a gifted knitter, creating countless Irish knit sweaters and afghans for family and friends. Later in life she discovered line dancing and mahjong. She learned hundreds of line dances and loved to dance with her kids and grandkids in the living room at family gatherings. She played mahjong every Thursday at the Plymouth Council on Aging and taught the family so we could play together at home. Throughout her life, Anna valued the importance of education. She was an avid reader and always continued to learn new things.
Her greatest joy was spending time with her family, friends, and especially her grandchildren. She was connected to all her grandchildren, visiting and helping to care for them as babies and attending all their special activities throughout high school and beyond. After retiring she moved to Plymouth to be close to her daughter, Su, and the beach. We have so many fond memories of dinners out, beach visits, ice cream at Ziggy’s, line dancing classes, mahjong games, and reminiscing over cups of tea and her special home baked cakes. We are so grateful to have had so many years to spend with her and share her love.
A Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, October 1 at 10:30 AM in Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, 573 Washington St., Newton, MA. Visiting hours will be on Wednesday, September 30, 4-8 pm and Thursday, October 1, 9:15-10 am at Andrew J. Magni & Son Funeral Home, 365 Watertown St., Newton, MA. Burial Private.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Anna’s memory to the Croi Health Charitable Fund 141 Longwater Drive Suite 210 Norwell, MA 02061, would be appreciated.