Evelina Victoria Despaigne, age 77 years, of Elizabeth, NJ, passed peacefully into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the morning of Tuesday, October 4, 2022, at University Hospital Hospice, Newark, NJ.

Born on May 8, 1945, in Palma Soriano, Oriente, Cuba, daughter of the late Stanley and Amanda Turner Anderson, Evelina was raised in Guantanamo, Cuba, and emigrated to the United States in July of 1971. First moving to Lakewood, NJ, she spent several years there prior to settling in Elizabeth, NJ, in 1975, where she would reside for the rest of her life.

Growing up in Cuba provided Evelina with a love of family that was rooted in the trust of almighty God. Her foundation was built upon faith, hope, and love and though it was difficult for women in Cuba at the time, Evelina knew that family was everything and that she could develop into the person she wanted to be-a person whose values of compassion, respect, and love-guided her down the path of life.

Education was instilled in her at an early age, and it was in Cuba where she became a kindergarten teacher. Knowing that she wanted a better world for her future children, she left Cuba for the promises of a free land where a woman of color could be anything she wanted to be, and where opportunities were available for those who worked hard and followed God’s path.

Her early years in the United States were difficult as they are for most immigrants. As she learned the language, Evelina found work as a home health aide, putting her love of others into hard work caring for the elderly. As she learned the English language, she followed her heart and sought out a career doing what she loved and what she preached was the most important thing besides family and faith: education.

Attending Montclair State University, she would graduate with a degree in Elementary Education and took advanced courses dealing with special education and children with special needs. Her passion and focus became those children that were left behind and, in some cases, thrown away: bilingual special education children. She was a proud educator of these bilingual students with special needs in the Newark, NJ school system for many years, working most of her career at Broadway Elementary School. She was well regarded by her peers, parents, and students alike, and she approached her educational ministry with the love and compassion of both a mother and an educator.

Her faith rooted and grounded her with an appreciation that all of God’s children deserve love, and she had no right to be the judge of anyone. A longtime member of Iglesia Fuente De Savación in Elizabeth, Evelina will always be remembered as one of God’s most selfless daughters. She was constantly and consistently doing things for everyone, and her humble spirit made certain that most never knew that it was she who helped. From feeding and clothing the homeless, to buying needy children school supplies, to being a prayer warrior for those most in need, she was always “present”. 

Becoming a “Mom” was a dream come true to Evelina. With the birth of her children-Marcelino Jr. and Evelina -she worked to ensure that they knew God had a plan for them, that education was another religion and a path to goodness, and that they had a responsibility to be a good example of their black race and to knock down stereotypes. Marcelino fondly recalls his mother as a woman of strong conviction who taught him to follow his beliefs and to fight for what is right. Evelina, like her mother, became a bilingual educator herself, following her mother’s example of never being afraid to follow one’s dreams. As a single, immigrant mother raising her children in an inner city, Evelina’s example will forever shine as a source of light for many generations, especially her grandchildren whom she loved more than mere words could ever express. She was so proud to help raise her granddaughter, Madison, whose grace and intelligence made Evelina proud on a daily basis. 

A true “Black Superhero in the flesh”, Evelina will be remembered for many things in addition to faith, family, and education. She was the “salsa” queen whose dance moves were legendary. Her massive repertoire of traditional Cuban cuisine made many people come back for third and fourth helpings. She was known to organize most of the family gatherings and was happiest when the family was all together. She loved to travel, especially to the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean islands, watching Telenovelas, creating beautiful flower gardens, renovating her home, and of course, shopping, shopping, and more shopping! She loved to shop for herself and for others and loved surprising family and friends with thoughtful gifts.

The author J. R. R. Tolkien once wrote, “End? No, the journey doesn’t end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The gray rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it. White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.” Evelina’s legacy will forever be one of optimism and hope, rooted in love. This world is not darker because she has transitioned physically from it, but rather it is brighter because she walked through it and will continue to do so through all the hearts she touched and will continue to touch. If you wish to honor her, allow your heart to be a bit more compassionate, and to always lend a hand to whoever is in need.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a steps-son, Anibal Despaigne; a nephew, Jorge Garnett; her siblings, Rosa Maura, Felicia Garnett, Rolando Anderson, and Elsi Anderson; and her former husband, Marcelino Despaigne Sr. 

Surviving are her son and daughter-in-law, Marcelino Despaigne Jr. and Keisha Despaigne; her daughter and son-in-law, Evelina and James Hadley; her son and daughter-in-law, Steven and Jessika Despaigne; her daughter, Valery Despaigne; her grandchildren, Niegel Henry, Kavon Howard, Madison Despaigne, Michaela Despaigne, and Marcellus Despaigne; her step grandchildren, Jyaire Hadley and Jacqueline Hadley; her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law,  Pedro Garnett Sr., Ivo Romeu, Nuria Anderson, and Mercedes Romeu; her nieces and nephews, Marelis Garnett, Pedro Garnett Jr., Rolando Anderson Jr., Ivo Radames Romeu, Hillary Romeu, Oscar Despaigne Sr., Oscar Despaigne Jr.,Rafael Maura Jr. and Brigida Maura; her dear cousin and sponsor to come to America, Mercedes Anderson; her dear friends  of fifty plus years, Gladys Vera and Eddie Vera; her caretaker, Elvira Vairinhos; her feline companions, Wiley Cat, Tiny, and Tiger; her canine companion, Romeo; many extended family in the United States and Cuba; all of her beloved students; and many dear friends.

Evelina will lie in repose on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at Krowicki McCracken Funeral Home, 2124 East Saint George Avenue, Linden, NJ 07036.

A life celebration service officiated by Evelina’s dear friend, Rev. Glenn Wilson, will take place on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home and to which all are welcome.

Interment at Rosedale Cemetery, 350 East Linden Avenue, Linden, NJ 07036, will follow the life celebration service and again, all are welcome.

All arrangements are under the care and direction of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ. Please contact Wright & Ford at 908-782-3311 should you have any questions.

Realizing that some may be unable to attend the life celebration service and graveside service, both events will be live-streamed, with the stream being active starting at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday. To watch, please click HERE and kindly ensure you do not have a pop-up blocker enabled (if you are having issues with clicking above, please follow this link: https://vimeo.com/event/2491508). Please note that the same link will be used for both events, and you may need to refresh your browser between events depending on the technology you are using. 

You are encouraged to visit Evelina’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of her life.

For those who wish, contributions in her honor may be made to the Elizabeth Public Library by printing THIS FORM and sending via mail to 11 South Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”

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