Along about 1985, I first met Anna and Fred. I was rebuilding the motor to my 1974 Spider and Fred had given me some usable pistons and liners for it. Anna was at the house in Sudbury too, and it did not take long to realize how special she was and how lucky Fred was to find a special woman many years earlier and to find a woman to put up with his tireless fascination with Alfa Romeos.

I am not sure if it was immediate or a more gradual hypnotic state that drew Anna in as well. Let’s face it—Fred was the Alfa club, along with Anna’s role as treasurer, and for all those years the two shared the same interest in Alfas, opened their home to any character aligned with the Serpent, and just plain loved talking about the cars, AONE, and their journeys. Anna traveled all over with Fred, to Alfa conventions or the "andiamo di Italia" trips. Whether it was a 1959 Giulietta Spider or an Alfetta Sedan, Anna would speak of either car as any true Alfisti would, with love and humor. Anna embraced all things Alfa, creating that special bond of common interest between husband and wife.

I will not forget the years in Maine, taking apart Milanos, picking up stray parts, or the many tech sessions hosted by Fred—Anna was always there. Usually in the house, Anna would open up her kitchen table to a home-cooked meal at the drop of a hat. Scolding Fred for pushing himself too far was not beneath her either. Her later years were difficult, with Alzheimer’s rapidly diminishing her capacity. The emotional drain on Fred was tremendous.

Every one of us who has met Anna, at her home or at an Alfa-related function, has a memory of a lovely woman. People look strangely upon me for my obsession with Alfas (or is it some other quirk that I am missing?). It’s not only the cars—it’s the people you meet and experience with their cars.

Jonathan Kirshtein