Mary Anne Thomas Cummings (known throughout her life as Anne), 85, passed away peacefully at her home in Oak Bluffs on Sept. 2, 2025. Born July 3, 1940, in Oak Bluffs, she was the eldest child of Bill and Mary Thomas, who predeceased her. She is also predeceased by her brother, Bill Thomas Jr., and her sister, Barbara Thomas Murphy.
Anne was proud to have attended Oak Bluffs schools from elementary through high school. She was a dedicated member of the Oak Bluffs High School girls’ varsity basketball team, eventually serving as captain. After graduation, Anne left Martha’s Vineyard to attend St. Elizabeth’s Nursing School in Boston, where she graduated with her R.N. degree. Fate brought Anne and John together when her college friend Mary invited her home for dinner. In the backyard, Anne met Mary’s handsome brother, John, who was playing baseball –– an encounter that blossomed into a lifelong love.
Anne and John celebrated their 60th year of marriage on August 28, 2025. Anne is survived by her beloved husband John Cummings Jr. and their four children and their spouses: John Cummings III and his wife, Marianne; Elizabeth Cummings Kwiat and her husband, Larry; Kevin Cummings and his wife, Sue; and Karen Cummings Nencka. Gigi, as she is still lovingly known, has nine grandchildren — Camille, Jack, and Conor Cummings; Katelynn and Ryan Kwiat; Max and Kyle Cummings; and Thomas and Sara Nencka — whom she fiercely adored and championed. In her eyes, they could do no wrong.
Anne’s early married years were spent chasing after four active kids, returning to school to earn her Bachelor’s of Science from Emmanuel College, and all while working as a nurse. Anne went on to serve as a head nurse at the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged for two decades.
When she and John retired back to the Island, Anne embedded herself into her Island community. For the better part of 20 years, she served as a registrar of voters for the town of Oak Bluffs and volunteered at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. She gave her time as well to the Oak Bluffs library, Red Stocking Fund, Martha’s Vineyard Cancer Support Group, and Friends of Oak Bluffs, and, following in the footsteps of her mother, she was a member of the Oak Bluffs Homemakers Club alongside her late sister Barbara. When she wasn’t busy volunteering, you could find her enjoying the YMCA, or at the M.V. High School basketball games, with close friends, cheering on the team. Heaven help the opponents.
Anne and John loved to visit the four kids and would babysit their grandchildren for days, even weeks! They were active travelers, with a fun-loving group of friends visiting exciting destinations that included many Caribbean islands, numerous European countries, and Iceland. Anne’s summers were filled with a houseful of children and grandchildren. Her porch was easily identifiable by the laughter, Frank Sinatra music, and bustle of family. Their home was appropriately named “Cummings and Goings.”
Anne loved and was loved so deeply and earnestly. To be loved by her was to be embraced by her warmth and quick wit, blessed by her fierce support, inspired by her kindness, and to feel truly special. She had an infectious laugh that could brighten any room. Anne was also a woman of strong faith who loved unconditionally and extended empathy and compassion to everyone she knew. Her loss will be felt by many.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Martha’s Vineyard Cancer Support Group, a group Anne and John were involved in that assists local families during difficult times: https://www.mvcancersupport.org/donate, or Hospice & Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard, who took amazing care of Anne: https://hospiceofmv.org/donations/.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 12 pm at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 22 Massasoit Ave, Oak Bluffs.
Mass will be live streamed for off-Island family and friends unable to attend:
https://c.themediacdn.com/embed/media/WEsd6n/waBPxtUsO39/SQ7twpsALBT_5?preview=1