Candida Rosa Rodriguez Vázquez, age 95, resident of Jamaica Plain, MA passed away at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston on July 1st, 2018.
Candida was born on February 2nd, 1923 in Cidra, Puerto Rico. She married her first husband, the late Marcos Merced Cruz in 1941 and the couple had one child, the late Marcos Antonio.
She married her second husband, the late Francisco Montanez Marcano, on October 5th, 1944. The couple settled in Caguas, Puerto Rico, where their three children were born, Nelly, Lourdes, and José Francisco.
Candida was a trail-blazer, moving her family to New York City in the late 40s. Despite not knowing the language or culture, Candida and Francisco worked hard to make the Big Apple a new home for their family.
Candida was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was a true matriarch and the heart of the family. She showed her love by cooking the most delicious Puerto Rican meals and demonstrated a love of her community by hosting friends and neighbors on a daily basis as part of an extended family. She was a very generous woman, always looking for ways of helping others in need. She will be missed by all that knew and loved her.
Family and friends will gather at Robert J. Lawler & Crosby Funeral Home, 1803 Centre Street, West Roxbury, MA 02132 on Tuesday July 3rd for Visitation from 1-3pm. Candida will travel to her beloved island later in the week, where funeral services will be held in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. Interment will be at the National Cemetery in Bayamón, Puerto Rico with her beloved late husband, Francisco, a veteran of World War II.