Anita J.Parese (DeeDee) age 71, passed away peacefully at home on August 3, 2021 after a brave battle with cancer. Anita was a lifelong resident of Rensselaer, NY and attended St. John’s Academy. Anita worked for St. Peter’s Hospital and retired from there in 2015. She loved the beach and going to Cape Cod and Florida. Some of her favorite activities were bus trips to the Casinos, doing puzzles, playing LCR and card games. Anita was a gentle and kindhearted person who always had a smile on her face. She is predeceased by her parents Joseph and Theresa Parese. She is survived by her sister Rosemary (Parese) Baird, brother Carmen (Geri) Parese, and her nieces Andrea Baird, Stephanie Baird, Gina Moscatello, Crystal Yapparov and her special friends at Franciscan Heights Senior Community. Thank you to her aide Dee and the Hospice nurses Sandy and Denise for their care and compassion. A service in her memory will be held on Friday, August 6th at 11:00AM in the W.J. Lyons Jr. Funeral Home, 1700 Washington Avenue, Rensselaer. Family and friends are invited and may call prior to the service from 10:00AM to 11:00AM. Interment will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, East Greenbush. In lieu of flowers contributions in Anita’s name may be made to Rensselaer County Community Hospice, 295 Valley View Blvd., Rensselaer, NY 12144.