Rose Anne Whitt

Rose Anne Whitt, of Philadelphia, passed away on July 17, 2026 at the age of 81. She was married to the late James Whitt, and survived by her daughter Christina, son in law John, and grandsons Sebastian, and Christian. 

Rose was born December 5, 1944 to Francesco Arangio and Santina 

Polizzi Arangio, who immigrated from Enna, Sicily during the 1920s. She had two older siblings, Mary and Biagio, but lost her mother at a young age, leaving Francesco to raise her. My mother was very interested in her Italian heritage and researched her family tree. 

She attended St. John Neuman Business School and began a long career(over 30 years) working for the City of Philadelphia as a secretary and stenographer. She worked in numerous departments, including the Police Department and Department of Human Services, focusing on the homeless population. She worked other part-time jobs including ushering dozens of concerts and dabbling in acting, participating in background work in two different films. Although she was shy, she had an interest in performing and took acting lessons. 

My mother volunteered at the local animal shelter and also to help the homeless. She even adopted a homeless man’s dog, which could not be admitted to the homeless shelter with his owner. FooFoo spent her life living in a paper bag and living on the street. I remember her bring this little, traumatized dog home one day. Foofoo became her beloved pet, one of many dogs(Sheba, Bob, Snoopy, Holly, Mia, and Bam Bam) she rescued over her lifetime. She was an animal lover, often adopting dogs who were old and in need of a home. 

She was often seen at the local park or outside her home feeding the birds and squirrels. Sometimes squirrels would sit on her railing waiting for her to come out. She was often seen walking her dogs in the neighborhood, well into her old age. She was a great advocate for the rights of animals. 

Perhaps her biggest love beyond animals, were her grandchildren, Sebastian and Christian. They were her pride and joy. During her retirement, she spent hours taking them to the playground, park, and McDonald’s.  She was a familiar face at the pre-school and kindergarten, often waiting for them when they were finished to spend quality time with them. She always attended their milestone activities, Halloween parades, Christmas shows, and important school events. Grandma was an important part of their life and left loving memories behind. Their art work covered her walls and she proudly displayed their photos over time. She was always willing to go the extra mile for them! As they grew older, playgrounds were replaced with Sunday lunches and get togethers. They brought her much happiness and joy.

My mother was staunchly independent, insisting on living independently in the house she owned for fifty years, driving until she was 80, and making her own choices in how she wanted to live. She enjoyed the senior center, history (particularly the Old West and Lincoln), creative writing, old movies, and had deep belief in God.

In honor of her, I think she would appreciate supporting the local animal shelter to help animals in need :https://acctphilly.org/helpacct/ways-to-give/