Irma Mary Cannas

Irma Mary Cannas, a life-long resident of St. Louis, Missouri, ended her battle with cancer on June 7th, 2020, at the age of 86. Irma is survived by her nieces, Tina DeMaria (Jamey) and Caroline MacDonald (Robert), nephew, John Jett (Cath), great nieces Casey Jones and Danielle Chandler (Chris), great nephew Justin DeMaria, sister in law Donna Jett and cousin, Angela Marcel. Irma is preceded by her parents Perry and Betty Cannas, brother John Cannas, sister Barbara Cannas and her beloved Siamese cat, Princess. Irma was born on July 29, 1933 to Perry and Betty (nee Osca) Cannas, immigrants of Sardinia, Italy. She graduated from Cleveland High School and immediately began working at Southwestern Bell as a telephone operator in 1951. After nearly 40 years of service, she ended her career as the Associate Director of Marketing for AT&T in charge of National Mail Campaigns and segmentation marketing. Following her retirement in 1990, Irma continued to serve AT&T through fundraising efforts as a United Way Campaign Ambassador. Irma was sharp witted and quick to make a joke; she had a gift for making others feel at ease. She laughed easily with friends but was also confident in her beliefs and opinions, which were usually fairly cut and dry. She loved baseball and never missed a Cardinal’s game and was Pope John Paul II’s biggest fan. Irma loved painting and was an avid reader. She sought to pass on her love for learning by volunteering as a reading tutor to the children in Parkview School District. She was fiery in her politics, extremely passionate about current events and deeply patriotic, volunteering her time campaigning for Democratic Candidates at the national and local level. Irma was a great patron of the arts, growing up with the Muni as well as spending many hours at the Missouri Botanical Garden, the St. Louis Art Museum and the St. Louis Symphony. She loved travel near and far to explore history, art and shopping. As a lifelong learner, she took classes at Meramec Community College following her retirement in her favorite subjects art and history. She treasured and was devoted to her friends, always making time for outings and lunch dates. She was a foodie, especially Italian food and Ted Drew’s Frozen Custard. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends and all who knew her. A Celebration of Life will be held to honor Irma at a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Irma’s favorite place to visit, the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Irma Mary Cannas

July 29, 1933 - June 7, 2020