Ana Maria Capunay

The Funeral Mass will be live streamed.

https://masslivestream.com/permalink/28dtbovaot.35

Ana Maria Capunay of Mineola, NY passed away peacefully at her home on May 8th, 2025, surrounded by her family. Ana Maria was born on July 30,1940 in Peru, in the Lima district of el Rimac.

Ana Maria is survived by her loving, devoted husband and high school sweetheart, Jose Capunay. Married for over sixty years and together for nearly seventy years, they shared a beautiful lifetime together having both come from Peru to New York City (Bronx and Queens) and eventually settling into their home of the past twenty-five years in Mineola, Long Island.

Ana Maria also leaves behind her children whom she adored—John and his children John Jr. and Destiny; Cesar and his children, Nicholas, Daniel and Chazz; Joseph and his children Joseph Jr., Marie, Xavier, and Josephine; and her youngest child and only daughter, Anna. And the family cats, Charlie and Izzy, Ana Maria’s other companions.

Ana Maria received her Associate’s Degree from Bronx Community College, her Bachelor’s and Master’s from St. John’s University, and finally, her Doctorate from New York University. When asked of which degree she is proudest, she will always look fondly upon her Associate’s from Bronx Community College as that was her first stepping stone into academia in this country. She loved to teach more than anything, returning as a Professor to her Alma Mater, St. John’s University, where she made lifelong friends. Her last place of employment was at Dowling College in Oakdale, Long Island, where she was offered a teaching position, designing her own course in Latin American Literature and History.

In the last few years she enjoyed taking long drives with her family; and spending summer beach days eating seafood and ice cream with her husband, Jose, at City Island and Theodore Roosevelt Memorial State Park and Beach.

Ana Maria is remembered with much love by her family and friends here and in Peru. Her beautiful soul, generous spirit, love of teaching literature, enthusiasm for reading, joy of attending plays and absorbing films, will remain in the hearts of all whose lives she touched. She is reunited in Heaven with her loving mother, Maria Irene Rivas.

Ana Maria will be remembered as a maternal figure to those she loved; she always called her students her "babies", even the college-aged ones.

Her husband Jose has lost his life partner, his soul mate, his everything. We support him in his hour of need and find solace that his beloved wife is now his guardian angel.

A celebration of Ana Maria’s life will be held at Cassidy Funeral Home, 156 Willis Avenue in Mineola on Monday, May 12th; visiting hours are 2-5pm and 7-9 pm. Mass will be at St Brigid’s Catholic Church, 85 Post Avenue in Westbury on Tuesday, May 13th at 9:45am.

The Capunay family welcomes flowers, but you may also choose to instead send a donation in Ana Maria Capunay’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.