Ann E Monaco

Ann Eleanor Monaco passed unexpectedly late Wednesday evening, Feb. 17, 2016 at the young age of 36, due to complications stemming from her Neurofibromatosis. Ann was the daughter of Cheryl and Carmen J. Monaco, Senior. She was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and spent her youth in nearby Hillside. At age 10, she and her family moved to West Long Branch, †˜down the shore†™. After experiencing a bit of culture shock in West Long Branch, Ann began to form friendships that would last her entire lifetime. By the time of her freshmen year at Shore Regional High School, she was surrounded by a circle of friends whom were fiercely loyal; a trait she reciprocated. During Ann†™s sophomore year, she began playing the trombone. She had a love of music, and this new facet only made her appreciation of music grow. She excelled with the Trombone; by the time she graduated Shore Regional in 1998, she had participated in several regional honors bands as well as attending a marching band competition in Toronto, Canada. Upon graduating Shore Regional, Ann continued her education by attending Monmouth University. While there, she joined the university†™s band as well as the pep band. Ann undertook a rigorous academic course load spanning a variety of subjects. Upon graduating, she received her Bachelor of Science in Biology. She also had two minors, Chemistry and Music, along with multiple concentrations including Criminal Justice. After graduating Monmouth University, Ann balanced work, spending time with family and friends, and playing trombone in several different community bands. On February 7th, 2011, Ann and Cass went on their first date. They knew each other from high school, but drifted apart afterwards. It was only after a random †˜poke†™ on Facebook that they re-entered each other†™s lives. In October 2012, Ann and Cass moved to Evans, Colorado. After a year in Evans, they relocated to Evergreen, where they lived until her passing. While living in Evergreen, Ann finally experienced the true nature of Colorado: the natural beauty, the wonderful people, and the kind of peace that can only be experienced by watching deer graze in the yard. After working several different jobs in Colorado, including working as a Quality Assurance Tech at Brown†™s Compounding, she decided a career change was in order. In August 2014, she began taking courses at Red Rocks Community College with the goal of going on to Metropolitan State University for a BS of Nutrition Science. Ann loved animals and was a supporter of various groups that campaigned for different animal rights issues. She believed strongly in equality in every possible way. She supported the LGBTQ community, attended equality hearings in New Jersey, and most recently attended a Bernie Sanders rally in Denver. Ann is preceded in death by her father, Carmen J Monaco Senior. She is survived by her mother, Cheryl Monaco, her step-sister Lorraine Miller, Lorraine†™s husband Donnie, her step-brother Carmen Monaco, Carmen†™s wife Kathy, her boyfriend Cass Bussell, their dogs Gwen and Gilbert, and their cats, Grissom and Giada. Memorial services will be held in Colorado and New Jersey. The Colorado services will take place on Friday, February 26th at Aspen Mortuaries (1350 Simms Street, Lakewood Colorado), beginning at 2:30 PM The memorial service in New Jersey will be on Thursday, March 3rd at New Beginnings Christian Church (236 Brick Boulevard, Brick, NJ), beginning at 3:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Children†™s Tumor Foundation https://join.ctf.org/events/detail?eid=39590 or to any local animal shelter / rescue group. Condolences may be emailed to [email protected] .