Virginia Mercedes Del Cristo's Obituary
To the world, she was Virginia Mercedes Del Cristo. To family, to friends, to loved ones, she will forever be known as our Niñona, Meche, and Tia. While she passed away on January 9, 2023, her spirit and fortitude still remain with us all. Born in 1938, Virginia was the baby of the family. Or rather, the big baby, weighing in roughly 10 pounds at birth, her mother, Virginia Rizo, and father, Juan Gabriel Del Cristo, dubbed her Niñona. She was one of four, alongside Juan, Miguel Angel aka “Miguelin,” and Amelia, all of which have since passed away as well.
She hailed from Habana, Cuba, and attended the prestigious school of Colegio de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, an academy that afforded her life-long friends. But at 13, her mother passed away, and was sent away to attend Catholic boarding school in Virginia. She remained in the US for several years, until completing her degree in nursing.
Virginia also had an insatiable thirst for travel, leading her to reside in many states and countries, from Chicago to Miami to Spain, and beyond. Virginia was never one to sit idle, she was a lover of the arts, music, spirituality, playing dominoes, and hosting family in her home. Needless to say, her calendar was always filled to the brim. Thanks to her generosity, a large portion of her family was able to come to the US from Cuba. She welcomed them with open arms in her home and helped them get acclimated to America. It was in her nature to be giving and caring, ask all who knew her, those two words would be the first to describe her. While Virginia was neither married nor had children, she was beloved by many around the world. She was our rock, there for us amid the highs, the lows, and in-betweens. Giving advice and being of service were her specialty, and we could always count on her sixth sense for the right words to say.
A year or two before her passing, Virginia was quite active. She rode bike around the block, walked to St. Agatha Catholic Church for mass every Sunday, celebrated with family and friends at gatherings, and was always fluttering about town. To her, age was nothing but a number, and it showed in the way she grabbed life by the horns. In the final year of her passing, Virginia was a shell of her former self. Illness consumed her. But that is not how the world should remember her by. Instead, we’d like to pay homage to this beautiful, gracious character that graced our life, touched our hearts, and always made it a mission to bring everyone closer together.
And to her we’d like to say, “Tia, may you rest in peace, as we know the day will come when we are all reunited again with Mima, Pipo and Jesusito.”
What’s your fondest memory of Virginia?
What’s a lesson you learned from Virginia?
Share a story where Virginia's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Virginia you’ll never forget.
How did Virginia make you smile?