Anna Lee Mooncai, 83

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FRAMINGHAM — Anna Lee Mooncai, 83, beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, August 1, 2020.

She was born in East Providence, RI to Chinese immigrants Charles and Mary Chin. At the age of four, her father passed away, leaving her mother with a restaurant business and six children during the Great Depression.

Anna quickly learned the value of family, hard work and sacrifice. These humble beginnings shaped Anna’s character to be courageous, unselfish and thankful for all good things.

Anna’s outstanding creativity, talent and ability won her acceptance to Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI. She earned a degree in apparel design while working full-time at the family restaurant to make her way through school.

After graduation, she married the one and only love of her life, Tommy Mooncai of Boston, MA. While working as an apparel designer in Boston, Anna gave birth to a son and became a homemaker. Tommy and Anna soon moved to a new home in Framingham and added two daughters to their family.

Anna’s priority and joy in life were her family and friends. She stayed at home to raise her children until they reached middle school when she returned to work as an interior design consultant. Later she managed Evans Fur Salon in the Jordan Marsh department store in Framingham.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband Tommy in 1996. Anna filled her days with the people and activities she loved most. An avid reader, Anna enjoyed many close friends from Book Club. She was a long-time member of the Y, where she faithfully water walked three times a week and for a time lead an arthritic water aerobics class. A lover of the arts, she went to symphony and many local theatre productions with her friends as season ticket holders.

The most amazing cook, one neighbor friend knocked on the door to taste whatever smelled so irresistible venting from the kitchen.  It was her own recipe for Chinese marinated spare ribs baking in the oven. She loved to feed people and blessed her family and friends with the most delicious home cooking.

Anna will be dearly missed by her son Tommy Mooncai, Jr., MD and daughter-in-law Melissa Mooncai of N. Easton, MA; daughter Susan Takahashi and son-in-law Donn Takahashi of Vista, CA; daughter Joanna (Jodi) Coughlin and son-in-law Robert (Bud) Coughlin of Hudson, NH; grandson Daniel Mooncai of New York, NY; grandson Matthew Coughlin of Medford, MA; grandson Theodore Mooncai,MD and wife Elizabeth Rosen,MD and great grandson Felix Mooncai of Boston, MA; grandson Cody Camp of Vista, CA; granddaughter Jade Camp of Vista, CA; and granddaughter Taryn Takahashi of San Francisco, CA.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a time of visitation on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at the Norton Funeral Home, 53 Beech Street (corner of Union Ave.), Framingham, MA., from 4 to 4:30 p.m. is reserved for those 60+ years old or anyone with underlying health conditions and from 4:30 to 7 p.m. is open to the general public. Due to current health regulations, masks are required in addition to social distancing.

Her funeral service will be private, and internment will take place at Forest Hills Cemetery, Boston

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Heart Center of MetroWest Framingham, attention Bobbi Fried, 99 Lincoln Street, Framingham, MA 01702 or to the Hope Scholarship Fund (educating children in developing countries) at www.hopescholarshipfund.org.