Obituary of Consuelo Paguaga

Ms. Consuelo Paguaga died Sunday July 1st at home. She was 85 years old. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she was accepted into and professed her vows with the Religious Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity, based in Philadelphia, PA. During her 37 years of service, she served primarily in Coamo, Puerto Rico as a teacher and social worker with the people of Coamo. She was placed through her order as a social worker, teacher and professor, school administrator, and adoption case worker near the order's home in Philadelphia and in Coamo, Puerto Rico. She was instrumental with her sister nuns in stimulating the local economy of Coamo by developing start-up companies. She also served on the board of directors of Las Flores Metalarte, a furniture manufacturer, Centro de Servicios Mulitples and El Caney Ceramico a ceramics factory, all in Coamo. She was recognized as an "adopted daughter" of Coamo for all of her dedicated service to the residents and their well being, even though she was not a native of the city. She held membership in several professional associations including the National Association of Social Workers in Washington, DC, Colegio de Trabajadores Sociales de Puerto Rico and continued her Basque studies at the University of Nevada. After retirement, she continued her associations with the people she cared about, by attending meetings, and organizing help networks for their benefit. She is survived by cousins, Gloria Guena of Valhalla, NY, Angeles Yocca of NJ, Elvira Preston of NJ, Dr. Louisa Guena, MD of Flemington and Robert Guena , P.E. and his wife, Wendy and their children, Nicole and Jesse of Valhalla, NY. Funeral services will be 10:30am Tuesday from the M. David DeMarco Funeral Home, 205 Rhode Hall Rd., Monroe Twp. A funeral liturgy will be celebrated at 11:00am at Nativity of Our Lord RCC, Monroe Twp. Interment will be in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Valhalla, NY. Visitation will be 9 am until 10:30am Tuesday.