Ange L. Armato Obit

Ange L. Armato Obituary

 

She was not on the list.

Ange L. Armato, age 96, passed away peacefully on June 21, 2026 at Charter Senior Living in Rockford, Illinois. Ange was born in Rockford on October 27, 1929, the daughter of George and Santa Armato.

Ange graduated from West High School and attended art school in Chicago. She worked for a period at Barber Colman and served several advertising agencies in Rockford as a technical artist, commercial artist, production manager and advertising manager. She liked to travel, golf, bowl and play slot machines at casinos. Ange loved baseball and was an avid Chicago White Sox fan. She signed with the Rockford Peaches of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. (AAGPBL) and attended the Peaches’ spring training in 1949 in Opa Locka, Florida. in 1953, she played second base for the Kalamazoo Lassies of the AAGPBL. Ange’s name is on an exhibit honoring the AAGPBL in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. That exhibit names all of the women who played in the league between 1943 and 1954. Less than of 20 of the more than 600 Hall of Fame women are still living. Ange attended many of the AAGPBL reunions.

In 1991, Ange appeared briefly in the baseball movie “A League Of Their Own”. She batted and played shortstop for the blue team in the trailer of the movie.

Ange is survived by her nieces & nephews Louisa (Michael) Giorgi Payden, Paul Toldo, Angela “Angel” Anderson, Tina (Tom) Kopinski), Kay Ellen (Arnie) DiTomassi, Pete (Chandra) Gianquinto, Ronald (Chris) Johnson and Sandy (Michael) Adams, several great nieces and nephews, and many later generations of nieces and nephews, several cousins and longtime special friend Carol Voelz. She was predeceased by her parents and seven sisters, namely, Katherine “Katy” Packard, Margaret “Marge” (August) Giorgi, Frances (Peter) Gianquinto, Angelina Armato, Mary “Honey” Michelon, Josephine (Nick) Giorgi, and Joanne (Ronald) Johnson. She was also predeceased by niece Sandra Toldo, nephews Morris Giorgi, Nick Giorgi and Harold Packard.

A Visitation will be held at 10:00 AM on June 30" followed by a Mass at 11:00 AM at St. Anthony Of Padua Church, 1010 Ferguson St., Rockford 61102. Burial will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetary. Contributions in honor of Ange may be made to the family. Please no flowers.

The family would like to thank the staff of Charter Senior Living, the staff of Mo Cara Hospice (especially Ange’s weekly care nurse Debra Johnson) and good friends Carol Voelz, Nancy Arbisi Gioppo and Tina Kopiniski for their wonderful assistance during Ange’s final days.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ange, please visit our floral store.

Ange L. Armato, age 96, passed away peacefully on June 21, 2026 at Charter Senior Living in Rockford, IL. Ange was born in Rockford on October 27, 1929, the daughter of George and Santa Armato.

Ange graduated from West High School and attended art school in Chicago. She worked for a period at Barber Colman.

Armato, a proud alumna of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) and one of the trailblazing women who helped change the role of women in professional sports, passed away peacefully on June 21, 2026, at the age of 96.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1929, Armato grew up in a time when girls rarely had the chance to play organized sports at a high level. Her passion for baseball began on the neighborhood sandlots, where she honed the skills and determination that would secure her place in the history of women’s sports. In 1949, she joined the AAGPBL — the groundbreaking women’s league founded during World War II to keep America’s national pastime alive while many male players served overseas.

Armato played for the Kalamazoo Lassies, one of the league’s most beloved teams, and was admired for her steady defensive play and team-first mindset. Though her career in the league was brief, she was part of a generation of women who proved baseball wasn’t just a man’s game. Her playing days coincided with the final years of the AAGPBL, which folded in 1954 but left a legacy that still inspires female athletes today.

After retiring from the game, Armato remained a passionate advocate for women’s sports and preserving the AAGPBL’s history. As a member of the AAGPBL Players Association, she took great pride in seeing the league honored with a permanent exhibit at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. Her autographed cards and memorabilia are still treasured by fans and collectors who celebrate the women who shaped the game.

Beyond the field, Ange Armato was known for her warmth, humility, and love of community. She often shared stories from her playing days with younger generations, encouraging girls to chase their dreams in sports and beyond. Her life embodied perseverance and passion — qualities that defined the women of the AAGPBL and continue to inspire.

Condolences to her family and friends and may she Rest in Peace.