Anna Quaintance of Cranston Dies at 52

Anna Quaintance of Cranston Dies at 52

Anna Quaintance, 52 of Cranston passed away on June 29, 2022, at her home surrounded by her beloved life partner, Dina Scotto, and their pets, Abby and Hope. They have shared their life together for sixteen years. She had bravely faced the diagnosis of Frontal Temporal Dementia with Parkinsonism (FTDP) with Pallidopontonigral degeneration (PPND).

She had participated in research at the Mayo Clinic for 17 years, referring to herself as a “lab rat.” Anna was born on October 9, 1969, in Gardner, Kansas. She was the daughter of Harold and the late Dora Dean (Newell) Quaintance. Anna was also preceded in death by her two brothers, Lee and Scott Quaintance. Her mom and two brothers all suffered from the same hereditary illness. Anna also leaves behind her sister-in-law, Cindy Quaintance, nephew, Nathan Quaintance, Aunts, Jennifer Parsons (Rick), Deleta Castle (Bud), and Mary Jane Wegley (Ben) and many other loving family, friends, and pets.

Anna grew up on a farm in Eastern Kansas and went on to earn her degree from Kansas State University in Park Resource Management. Just out of college, she started working at the Milford Nature Center in Kansas caring for their animal collection and learning the ins and outs of wildlife rehabilitation. She then became a zookeeper at the Sunset Zoo in Manhattan, Kansas where she cared for the entire zoo collection for ten years. Following her time at Sunset Zoo, she moved to New England to work at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo where she was entrusted with caring for the animals of the Rainforest. Anna and Dina started Country Critters Veterinary Services, a mobile farm animal practice, in 2012. Anna had dual roles as Practice Manager and Veterinary Technician and was instrumental in Country Critters success.

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Anna had an infectious smile and laugh, along with her quick wit. She always was able to start a conversation with anyone, anywhere. Anna, her brother Scott, and cousin Linda Vazquez enjoyed travel to many different countries together. The places they visited were never the same once they had left.

A celebration of her life will be held on Sunday, July 10, 2022 at the Nardolillo Funeral Home 1278 Park Avenue, Cranston, Rhode Island from 10 am to 12 noon, with a Eulogy to follow. 

Another celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2022, in Des Moines, Iowa.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Anna’s name to :

Mayo Clinic- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center-Rochester
 200 First St. SW
 Rochester, MN 55905

 Or

Sunset Zoo

Attn: Tammy Jones

2333 Oak Street

Manhattan, KS 66502