Anna Rita Belica, age 90, passed away, surrounded by loved ones, on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Somerset in Somerville.

Born and raised in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, she was the daughter of the late Domenico Gambino and Sarina Campisi. Anna came to the United States in 1956, first living in Bound Brook before ultimately settling in Middlesex, where she built a life grounded in hard work, resilience, and devotion to family.

In addition to her parents, Anna was predeceased by her beloved husband, George Belica; two sons, Christopher and Steven Romano; two sisters, Juliana Drong and Antonia Gambino; and two brothers, Umberto and Renato Gambino.

Surviving are her loving family members, including her two sons, Michael and John Romano; two sisters, Wanda Sheatler and Beniamina Surenko; her grandchildren, Rita Romano, Kiara Romano, Samson Romano, Dominick Romano, Brandon Romano, and Marcella Romano; and her great-grandchildren, Belica Romano, Holden Romano, Harley Romano, Christina Goresh, and Nicole Goresh; and her many loving nieces and nephews. 

Anna, also known as Rita by her sisters, learned to sew from a young age in Palermo, Sicily. Sewing was not only her profession, but one of her greatest joys and talents. She worked in a sewing factory, eventually advancing to creating patterns for other workers to follow, and later worked as a Machine Operator at Lehn & Fink. She lovingly made clothing for all of her children and grandchildren and collected clothes throughout her life, always saying that everything eventually comes back in style. She famously made matching dresses for Rita and Kiara as they grew up, a reflection of her creativity and love. She enjoyed shopping trips a lot. She cherished trips with her children and grandchildren to Point Pleasant and amusement parks, creating memories that will be treasured forever. She was so special to all of us.

Anna loved being with her family above all else. She worked tirelessly to provide for her four boys, at one point holding three jobs. She cherished her children and grandchildren deeply and took great pride in teaching them the skills she loved most, including sewing, crocheting, and cooking. She crocheted beautiful pieces and proudly passed that talent on to her granddaughter. She was an incredible cook, she always loved to feed everyone, she had the most wonderful meatballs, made with love, skill, and tradition.

She had a rare gift for making everyone laugh and kept her sense of humor until the very end. Anna was the strongest person her family knew, with an unwavering spirit of resilience, love, and courage.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Middlesex Funeral Home 528 Bound Brook Rd. Middlesex, NJ 08846.

Immediately following the visitation, Anna will be laid to rest at Resurrection Burial Park in Piscataway.