Anne Marie Holden (née DeCola) passed away after a short illness on February 12th, at the age of 97. She was born in the house her father built, that still stands on the corner of 74th Street and 58th Road in Maspeth, Queens. Mary and Joseph DeCola welcomed their beautiful daughter, Anne, into this world on April 3, 1924. The DeCola household was a busy one, with five children to sustain: Ned, George, Nancy, Joe and the youngest, Anne. Anne attended I.S. 73 in Maspeth (graduating in January of 1939), and Girls Vocational High School in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. After a stint at Grover Cleveland High School, Anne discovered an innate calling for hairdressing and took the appropriate training. For many years, she worked at Joseph’s Beauty Salon on Grand Avenue in Maspeth. Marriage to Joseph Holden in 1946, and an expanding family—Joseph, Judith, Robert, and James—soon became a full-time responsibility for Anne. For 25 years, she enjoyed her work as an Admitting Clerk and Medical Records Administrator with St. John’s Hospital in Queens. Despite a busy life, Anne found time to volunteer her services where needed. She regularly assisted the Juniper Park Civic Association with a variety of activities, including serving coffee “with a smile” and a kind word, at membership meetings. Dry Harbor Nursing Home also became a venue for her altruism. For years, Anne would commute on a regular basis to the Manhattan Veterans Administration Hospital on 23rd Street and First Avenue, where she assisted veterans who had given so much to secure our freedom. On Memorial Day, and on similar occasions, one would see Anne parading down Grand Avenue or up 5th Avenue, proudly wearing the uniform of The Ladies Auxiliary of the Polish American Legion. Community service was an honor for Anne Holden, who said, “Pitch in, help where you can.” Always surrounded by family, Anne Holden is survived by her sons, Joseph C. Holden of Long Island, Robert F. Holden of Middle Village and James T. Holden of Los Angeles, and her daughter, Judith A. Nichols of Dallas; eleven grandchildren; fifteen great grandchildren and two great, great grandchildren.