Julia Arocho Velez died peacefully on June 10, 2019, two days short of her 67th wedding anniversary, surrounded by her family.

Known as Yuya (or Juja or Juya depending on whether you are writing in Spanish, English, or Spanglish, respectively) she was the matriarch of the family, the oldest girl of 7 siblings. Born in San Sebastián, Puerto Rico, her early life was marked by tragedy and poverty; both parents died when she was young, and by the time she was a teenager she had assumed the role of de facto mother to her brothers and sisters. She left Puerto Rico during the mass exodus of the 1950s and settled with her husband Alejandrino (Jandino) in New York. They worked hard: Yuya was a talented seamstress who in her spare time made custom outfits for her three daughters (all one year apart), and Jandino was an entrepreneur and jack-of-all-trades.

Yuya and Jandino are gentle and kind, natural caregivers who throughout their lives cared for various family members during times of trouble and illness. Yuya cared for her sister and youngest daughter until she was no longer able to care for herself. Yuya demonstrated that trauma and tragedy can make you strong without hardening your heart; she was tremendously giving and kind.

Yuya is survived by the love of her life, her beloved sister and four of her brothers, three daughters, four granddaughters, four great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.