Anna Jaroslawa Samat died peacefully on June 3, 2025.  A longtime resident of Haddon Heights, she was born in Curitiba, Brazil, to parents of Ukrainian descent.  Anna grew up on East 7th Street in New York's little Ukraine, attended Washington Irving High School and later Hunter College, where she also earned a Master's degree in literature with a thesis focused on Mark Twain.

Anna was a radical liberal who taught English as a second language to displaced people from all over the world. She remained close friends with and an advocate for many of them throughout their lives. She was truly an ally to anyone in need.

Anna was fluent in several languages; she was an artist, and an avid reader, writer, and storyteller. She had a beautiful smile, a dark sense of humor, and was always in the mood for something sweet.  Anna was loved by everyone who knew her and would often charm passersby on the street.

Anna was married to Kanu Samat from Bombay, India, for almost half a century, after meeting at a dinner party just off Central Park. That night they took a walk together in the rain.

Anna believed in all things otherworldly – the afterlife, reincarnation, and was almost half-spirit herself. She is survived by her two daughters, Maya and Tara, who know they will continue to feel her presence daily.

Arrangements by the FOSTER-WARNE FUNERAL HOME, Audubon and Collingswood, NJ.