Aida Vazquez Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

A life well-lived, a Heroine and Champion: A legacy of love for family and community Aida Vazquez, 84, died peacefully at her home in Trenton, New Jersey, on November 14, 2019. She was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on April 4, 1935, to Herminio Cortes and Santa Ortiz. Named by her father after the princess in the Verdi opera, "Aida," she was a vivacious and joyous child who had a special love for music, singing, and dancing. As a very young child Aida loved to entertain family, friends, and strangers alike with traditional Spanish songs and her imitations of a then-famous actress and singer, Mariantoneata Pons. When Aida was eight years old, she moved with her family to Spanish Harlem in New York City, where she adapted quickly and became very popular in school. Later, after a brief return to Puerto Rico, she moved to Trenton with her children, Carlos and Aida, where she joined her brother, Angel Luis, and his family. Being a proud and independent woman, she declined to seek public assistance, immediately found a job, and brought her younger sister Leticia and Leticia's baby daughter, Arlene, to live with her. It was not long before a handsome man named Leoncio Vazquez set his eyes on this beautiful and charming woman. They fell in love, married, and had two children, Leoncio, Jr. and Lyssette. For many years, their home remained a haven and a central gathering point for their many relatives and friends. In 1997, after 27 years as the first bilingual community officer at Trenton Central High School, where she was a mentor and second mother to countless students, Aida retired. A tireless community servant, she lent her wisdom and experience to numerous civic organizations, including El Desfile Puertoriqueno (Puerto Rican Parade) de Trenton, as a founder and officer; Cialenos Unidos Club; the Puerto Rican Association; the Hispanic Democratic Caucus of Mercer County; the Education Taskforce of the Puerto Rican Congress of New Jersey; the Union Industrial Home for Girls and the Trenton Public Library, as the first Latino representative on their boards; the Father Flannigan Boys Home; Easter Seals; and the Mercer County Department of Social Services, where she was the city's first Latino foster care parent. In 2008, after almost 50 years of marriage, Leoncio passed away; but Aida continued to the end of her life as the grand matriarch of her large and very close family. In 2018, at the Hispanic Gala where the recipient of the Carlos Pacheco Award was named, Aida received a thunderous standing ovation for her gift to the city of Carlos and for the superb way she had always lived her life. Aida is survived by her children, Aida Pacheco, Leoncio Vazquez, Jr., and Lyssette Calderon; her stepdaughter, Linda George; her grandchildren, Chantel Ray, Gissette Suarez, Gabrielle Vazquez, Alexander Vazquez, Justin Vazquez, Jovani Calderon, and Armani Calderon; her great grandchildren, Te'Ajeah Ray and Mya Garcia; her sister, Leticia Robles; her brothers, Angel Luis Cortes and Manuel Acosta; her sisters-in-law, Martha Cortes and Martha Acosta; and numerous loving nieces, nephews, and cousins. Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, November 21, 2019, 3:00pm at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, 151 North Warren Street, Trenton NJ 08608. Family and friends may begin to gather at the Cathedral at 2:00pm for viewing. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests memorial contributions to be made in her honor to Catholic Charities, 132 North Warren Street, Trenton NJ 08608 or online at https://www.catholiccharitiestrenton.org/donate.

Aida Vazquez

April 4, 1935 - November 14, 2019

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Aida Vazquez

April 4, 1935 - November 14, 2019

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Obituary Notification