On February 23rd, 2016, my wife, best friend, mother of our children, Gabriella (age 7) and Donovan (age 5), and friend to all who came to know her, Alexandria Vanasco, passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer. The cancer is gone and the pain has ceased, and although she and I will not have the chance to reminisce about days gone by as we rock side by side together on our front porch, I find solace in knowing that she is now at peace. Alex was an amazing wife and mother! Her spirit made our home feel such warmth, her hands and artistic side gave it endless character and beauty, but mostly her heart filled it with love. She was beautiful, talented, intelligent and witty, and loving her made all of our hearts swell with abundant meaning and joy.

From the beginning of her life to the end, Alex was filled with a tremendous drive to excel and a passion toward helping others. Just before her cancer re-diagnosis, she was in the process of volunteering to help struggling children. Alex fought a valiant fight each and every day to stay alive so that she could share as much time with her kids and family as possible despite the pain she endured. While shortly before Alex passed away, her focus was again not on herself, but instead on ensuring that her business attire went to assist women in shelters that were trying to restart their lives. Alex simply and unselfishly brought joy to others lives! She loved hosting parties, planning family activities, helping to elevate others spirits when they were down or just sharing time with them. Alex has carved her name on each and every heart whose lives she touched!

No buildings may have been named after Alex or monuments erected to honor her life. Yet, she unselfishly loved each and every friend that came into her life as well as all of her family members. What better gift and legacy can one leave! Her gestures, smiles and wit will forever live on in the memory and hearts of all who had the pleasure of knowing her. More so, her loss has helped to remind each of us about what was so precious about Alex and life itself and reinforced for me that her life and legacy will continue to carry on throughout time and eternity. She is going to be in each visit I make to Starbucks, each memory I share with family and friends, each smile I see on Gabby and Donovan's faces and a million other places that her hand and heart has touched.

Alex was my best friend, my wife, my partner in life, and although death may have parted us for a short moment in time, I will continue to carry her in my heart until we see each other again.

Alex is also survived by her mother Jet, her father Sandford her brother's Nolan and Fletcher and sister Adrienne.

Services were held March 3rd and 4th at Best Funeral Home and Phoenix Memorial Park Cemetery.

" What greater thing is there for two human souls, than to feel that they are joined for life — to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting? " —George Eliot, Adam Bede