Obituary of Angela Frances Vergara

Angela Frances (Byron) Vergara, a woman of wit, wisdom, warmth and adventure, passed away peacefully, on February 14, 2024, surrounded by family, after a long battle with dementia. She died at 88 years of age in Melbourne FL. Angela was a devoted daughter, sister, aunt, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and registered nurse.

 

She was predeceased by her husband and soul-mate, Dr. Jose (Pepe) Vergara, her parents John F. Byron Jr. and Elizabeth (DeBassio) Byron, her 3 siblings John, Joe and Betty Byron, and beloved dogs Smokey and Emma. She was the loving mother of John Vergara (Michael Hayden) of Valencia Spain, David (Lisa) Vergara of Needham, MA, Nancy (Sean) Barrett of North Haven, CT and Paula Vergara of Melbourne, FL.  She was the proud and doting grandmother of Natalie, Rachel and Paul Vergara, as well as, Caitlin, Andrew and Luke Barrett.  She was the great-grandmother of Vance Vergara. She is also survived by extended family members in the U.S. and Spain. Angela cherished her “girl-whirls” and 70-year friendships with nursing classmates Gail Hoffman, Barbara Matimore and Bettyann Lawton. An honors graduate of The Assumption School, St. Xavier High School and The Roger Williams General Hospital School of Nursing (1956) in Providence RI, Angela demonstrated a lifelong love of books and learning.  She was a skilled nurse and talented educator who cared for patients and trained nursing students as Head Ward Nurse at Roger Williams Hospital.  Subsequently, Angela dedicated her life to nurturing her family, friendships, pets, Catholic Church and community. 

 

Angela had many passions and interests. She was a voracious reader (especially mystery novels and the Boston Globe), and loved animals, Christmas, ice cream, gardening, antiquing, writing, and art. Her genetic affinity for chocolate and her mantra “Chocolate doesn’t bahtha me” have been passed down through the generations. An excellent chef, Angela hosted epic gatherings in RI, MA, FL, and at the family’s lake house in Jaffrey NH.  She traded her RI accent for a Boston accent, but could speak Spanish like a native. Never one to shy away from adventures, Angela led her family on camping trips in the trailer, jetty fishing, beach picnics, and international travel. She taught her children how to make a bed with hospital corners, throw a baseball, cook a paella and ride an ocean wave all the way to the shore. Her infamous newspaper clippings included shared recipes, parenting advice, financial tips, travel adventures on a budget, and numerous DIY projects. She was also an excellent writer, who spent many nights working as a secret ghost writer/editor for her children’s book reports and essays for school.

 

Angela overcame significant challenges in her life, including the deaths of her father, sister and grandmother when she was a child. Under the guidance of her widowed mother, she persevered with faith, determination, and hard work. Mrs. Vergara’s strong work ethic, intelligence, and devotion to family was matched only by that of her husband, Pepe. They met on a double blind date in the 1950s. Dr. Vergara was smitten, and wanted to get married within two weeks of their first date. They encouraged each other, made joint decisions and plans for the future, and raised 4 children together.  They were a united front in welcoming both Angela’s mother Elizabeth and Pepe’s mother Consuelo to live in their Needham MA home, providing them with the comfort and stability that had been robbed from them decades earlier. Angela learned to speak Spanish, just so she could communicate with her husband’s family. During their 43 years of marriage, Angela responded to “Honey-B” or “Angie-Baby”, as her husband so lovingly (and sarcastically) called her. After Pepe died in 2002, Angela remained in Needham MA for many years, before ultimately moving to sunny Florida for the last 8 years of her life.

 

Angela was cherished by her family and friends and will live in their hearts forever.  Her children appreciate their mother for her infinite wisdom, and for her numerous demonstrated examples of what it means to be truly thoughtful, selfless, loving, loyal, freakishly strong and wicked smaht.

 

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Roger Williams Medical Center-The Chartercare Foundation 7 Waterman Avenue, North Providence, RI 02911 in Angela’s honor. Checks and Venmo are accepted.

 

A memorial will be planned for a later date in Massachusetts.

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