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In Memoriam


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  • 9 months later...

Abrazo was saddened to learn last night of the death two years ago of birthmother Angela Lewis. Angela had placed here twice, so her children are growing up in the same adoptive home, and we lift the adoptive family in our prayers along with Angela's mother, her children and her siblings, as they manage this news and deal with this loss. 

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Board member Angela Martinez and executive director Elizabeth Jurenovich travelled to Blacksburg, VA at the end of last month to represent the Abrazo community at the memorial service for adoptive mother Susan Marmagas, who bravely contended with ovarian cancer for several years before passing away on 12/21/18. Susan and her husband Bill had adopted twice through Abrazo, and never missed bringing their daughters to Camp Abrazo, despite her illness. She will forever be fondly remembered by our community, and greatly missed by all of us, including their daughter's birthbrother's adoptive family, the Salinases, and their other daughter's birthsister's adoptive families, the Scott Wise family and the Linda Perkins family. Bill and Tasia and Elektra, you three are being lifted in all our prayers!

Abrazo was saddened to learn last night of the death two years ago of birthmother Angela Lewis. Angela had placed here twice, so her children are growing up in the same adoptive home, and we lift the adoptive family in our prayers along with Angela's mother, her children and her siblings, as they manage this news and deal with this loss. 

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On ‎1‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 6:18 PM, Stork Central said:

Board member Angela Martinez and executive director Elizabeth Jurenovich travelled to Blacksburg, VA at the end of last month to represent the Abrazo community at the memorial service for adoptive mother Susan Marmagas, who bravely contended with ovarian cancer for several years before passing away on 12/21/18. Susan and her husband Bill had adopted twice through Abrazo, and never missed bringing their daughters to Camp Abrazo, despite her illness. She will forever be fondly remembered by our community, and greatly missed by all of us, including their daughter's birthbrother's adoptive family, the Salinases, and their other daughter's birthsister's adoptive families, the Scott Wise family and the Linda Perkins family. Bill and Tasia and Elektra, you three are being lifted in all our prayers!

Abrazo was saddened to learn last night of the death two years ago of birthmother Angela Lewis. Angela had placed here twice, so her children are growing up in the same adoptive home, and we lift the adoptive family in our prayers along with Angela's mother, her children and her siblings, as they manage this news and deal with this loss. 

Thank you Abrazo for everything that you do! I appreciate that you were there in VA for the Marmagas family during this difficult time. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

Abrazo recently learned that local attorney and AbrazoDad Michael Panzarella died in San Antonio last July, at the age of 62.

Mike and his former wife Teri adopted through Abrazo twice. We are saddened to learn of his passing, albeit late, and we hope his family draws strength from their many happy memories together. 

Michael Panzarella’s Obituary

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  • 2 months later...

We were saddened to learn last week of the death of a beloved Abrazo birthmom, just a day before her 44th birthday.

Vilaylak Phomsouvanh (known to us as "Vee")  contacted Abrazo over two decades ago, when she was a pregnant nineteen-year-old from a culture that shunned unmarried mothers. 

She made an adoption plan with an Abrazo couple who would've loved to keep in closer contact with her over the years, however, Vee did not seek an actual reunion until her placed daughter turned nineteen. She took great pride in the talented young woman her daughter had become, but sadly, she did not find the courage to actually meet with that daughter before her death. She did, however, live to hear her father say he understood the choice she had made in opting for adoption, and that he was proud of her. That meant the world to Vee. 

Her family is planning no memorial service. If you wish to contribute to her burial, click here.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to both Vee's son and daughter, to his family and to her adoptive family, as well. 

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  • 2 months later...

The Abrazo staff was informed today of the recent passing of adoptive dad Joseph Defosse in Mississippi in August. Joe and his wife Lisa adopted their daughter Jamie here in 2003; they were part of the Los Misionarios orientation group of February 2003. The family traveled this summer to Hawaii for the trip of a lifetime, but five days after returning home, Joe suffered a stroke that later led to his death. His obituary can be read here. Please join us in lifting Lisa and Jamie in your prayers as they adapt to this great loss in both their lives.  

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Thank you for sharing this. Many prayers for the family.

 

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Prayers for this loss. May you find peace in all the memories made. 

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  • 1 year later...

As All Saints Day approaches, we remember some special members of the Abrazo community who passed away in 2020: 

We honor the memory of adoptee and Abrazo grandpa BRUCE BERGER, who died of cancer. 

We honor the memory of Baby Alexander, who was to have been adopted, but was stillborn.

We honor the memory of adoptive mother LINDA VENTURA, who never recovered after suffering a cardiac episode.

We honor the memory of DAN GILETTE, an adoptive father who passed after a tragic tragic accident at his home.

We give thanks for the lives of these and others in our adoption community... May their memory be a blessing, always.

 

 

 

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  • 2 years later...

We were saddened to learn of several deaths within our adoption community in 2022... 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to

* Kelly Yogerst, birthmother of Sebastian

* Cora Truckenbrod, stillborn daughter of Priscilla & Emily & Mark and sibling of Lucas

* Shana & Linda Dimambro, daughter and mother who were also birthmothers of Dylan & Shari

* Maria Reyna, birthgrandmother of adoptees Josiah & Roxanne

* Gewelene Montoya, infant birthsister of adoptee Maguel 

We are grateful for each other them, and wish them peace in their repose. 

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  • 1 month later...

Abrazo staff sought to reach a family who has not kept up with annual reports, at the request of the child's birthmother, and we were sorry to learn of the death of adoptive mother Trisha Stewart...

https://www.echovita.com/us/obituaries/va/spotsylvania/trisha-m-stewart-7962004


We extend our overdue condolences to the family, and hope her husband will respond to our messages and offer their child's birthfamily a much-needed update. 

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