Anne DiNapoli

Anne Bannon DiNapoli, of St. Petersburg, FL, died Saturday, February 17, 2024. She was 90 years old.

A first generation American and native New Yorker, Anne was the daughter of Irish immigrants, Patrick and Mary (nee Doyle) Bannon. Born on January 30, 1934 in Manhattan, she was raised on W. 172nd Street in Washington Heights with her older brother, John P. Bannon. Her sister, Mary Bannon, died in infancy.

One of Anne's first jobs was in the accounting department at Revlon International.

One lucky day, she tagged along to a surprise birthday party thrown for a good friend of her brother's. There Anne met the guest of honor who became the love of her life, Albert J. DiNapoli. They married on February 11, 1967, and moved to Yonkers, NY, where her son, David Bannon DiNapoli, was born in 1968. The family later moved to St. Petersburg, FL in 1973.

Following the birth of her son, Anne found her mission in life as a devoted advocate for autistic children. With her husband, she founded The Autism Association, Inc. in St. Petersburg in 1979 and the Gulf Coast Chapter of The Autism Society Of America in 1981. One of their earliest community projects was the creation of a respite program for families with autistic children in St. Petersburg, held on Saturdays at one of the local rec centers. For over thirty years, she fiercely advocated for greater educational access and government resources at both the state and county levels, including serving on both the State of Florida's Human Rights Advocacy Committee and the Tacachale Advisory Board.

Sadly, her husband passed away February 25, 2001.

In addition to her son, Anne is survived by her stepdaughter, Deborah D. Vacca, and three step-granddaughters, Nicole A. Deyo, Lisa M. Deyo, and Kerry M. Thayer, who were all much loved by their grandma. She is also survived by her nephews, John F. Bannon and Douglas P. Bannon. In lieu of flowers, please donate to an autism support or advocacy organization in your local community.

Services will be held privately.