Cecilia P. (Sally) Deana

Sally Deana passed away peacefully and gently Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at 1:20 AM in the presence of her daughter and son-in-law, Paula and Roger Shafer, and granddaughters, Jessie and Cecilia Shafer. Sally was 81 years old and endured a long struggle with dementia. She was born in North Tarrytown, NY (now Sleepy Hollow) on February 9, 1931. She attended North Tarrytown High School where she was head cheerleader for the Headless Horsemen. She met the love of her life and married Americo "Dee" Deana on February 16, 1952. Their union lasted 54 years until his death in 2006. Mom and Dad provided the most loving home. She was a wonderful wife, mother, and grandmother who cherished family above all else. After transferring from New York to Cleveland, TN in 1961, they immediately fell in love with living in the South, and it soon became their true home. Sally was a Red Cross volunteer at Bradley Memorial Hospital for almost 40 years, a job she very much loved. They were founding members of St. Therese of Liseux Catholic Church. After Dee's death in 2006, Sally moved to West Virginia to be cared for by her daughter and family for the last six years of her life. Sally is survived by Paula and Roger Shafer of Elkview,WV; Christina and Sonny Moss of Cleveland, TN; Dan and Misty Deana of Panama City, FL; Patti and Rolf Erisman of Clifton, TN; along with her six grandchildren, Nina and husband, Jamie Thurman; Jessie and Cecilia Shafer; Roman and Anthony Deana; Jake Erisman; and her precious great-granddaughter Julia RuthAnn Thurman. Visitation will be at Fike Funeral Home, Thursday, November 29 from 6:00-7:30 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 AM Friday, November 30 at St. Therese of Liseux Catholic Church, Clingan Ridge Drive, Cleveland. We want to thank our "Wild and Wonderful" West Virginia family and friends for their care and support the last six years. Mom loved being with all of you. Also, to Braley Care Home in St. Albans, WV, where Mom was lovingly cared for the last few years. Words cannot express the dignity, laughter, and the unbelievable compassion you showed her. We will never forget. To Hospice, what can we say that has not been said? You are all angels. A special thank you to Debbie, Mom's Hospice aide, she truly loved you. Mom always surrounded herself with beautiful gardens, so in lieu of flowers, please donate in her name to the Alzheimer's Association, a way we can all help fight this terrible illness that affects so many families. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Cleveland, TN, where she will be laid to rest between her beloved husband and mother. We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Deana family guestbook at fikefh.com.