Anita M. Oommen, 47 of Morganville, died on Thursday, February 2nd at Jersey Shore Medical Center. Anita was in excellent health until she was diagnosed with Lymphoma in October of 2021. Even though she was going through intensive chemotherapy, Anita always remained cheerful, optimistic and confident. After undergoing successful treatment and being in remission for 6 months, she relapsed in October of last year.  She died suddenly of an unexpected and rare reaction to her treatment.  

She was born in Washington D.C., raised in Maryland and later moved to New York where she attended NYU and received her Masters in Social Work in 2003.  She married in 2004 and lived in Jersey City before she and her husband, Roji, moved their young family to Morganville in 2014. This period of her life was filled with deep contentment, and she found joy in raising her daughters with her husband. Anita was active and athletic, a gymnast in her youth.  Her athleticism continued as a mother of two kids. Her family was proud to see her attain a black belt in 2019 in Taekwondo.  

She loved hosting and cooking and took special delight in catering to the individual tastes of her guests.   She made her home the epicentre of family holidays and especially enjoyed summer days spent listening to the laughter of children in the pool, roasting food on the grill and the promise of the days to come.  She loved traveling and while she was a woman of simple pleasures, she loved the luxury of an excellent hotel and fine dining.  However, she spent most of her family breaks at various beaches, mostly to watch her children play and kick at the surf.  She loved baking with her daughters, and she was a ruthless player of Monopoly and Catan.  She also especially loved a warm cup of tea sitting in the sunset in her kitchen with her husband, friends and family.

Anita was an empathetic and attentive listener and used this skill in her role as a child therapist to help at-risk children who needed someone to understand them.  This ability to listen without judgment also built her a cherished circle of friends that she deeply valued.

Anita is survived by her loved ones. She had a happy marriage spent in love with her husband, Roji, the dearest companion of her days.  She loved her defining role as a mother and reveled in watching her daughters Maya and Sarina develop each of their unique personalities and she loved the individual traits that define them. She always wanted sisters and had an exceptionally close bond with both of Roji’s sisters, Renee and Reesa.  She loved her brother Jacob, and their gentle bickering amused the whole family. She shared her love of food with both of her beloved brothers in law, Aleem and Anthony. She was raised with so much love by her gentle parents Susan and Pathikal Poulose and she in turn, loved watching them as grandparents.  She was a treasured daughter in law to Oommen and Accamma and she was always able to draw her entire extended family together. She adored her nephew and niece, Noah and Eva, and they only ever experienced her love. 

Anita was predeceased by her sister-in-law, Shia Thomas who died in 2015.

Visitation Thursday, February 9th, from 9 am until the time of the service at 12 pm at the Holmdel Funeral Home, 26 South Holmdel Road, Holmdel.  Interment will be private.

To share a favorite memory or send a message of condolence please visit Anita’s page of tributes at www.holmdelfuneralhome.com.