Juana Imelda (Castro) DeBarrera

 Juana Imelda DeBarrera, (nee: Castro) 87, of Union City, NJ, passed away peacefully on July 8, 2019 at the Hudson Regional Hospital in Secaucus, NJ.  

Born in Argentina, Juana emigrated to the United States in 1974 before settling in Union City for the past 45 years.

As a devoted homemaker, Juana focused her time and energy caring for her family.  Her compassion towards others was a trait she passed on to her son Alfredo whom she took tremendous pride in.  Juana also considered her role as mom like a “badge of honor” She provided her son with an abundance of love, encouragement and support and raised him to be thankful and appreciative of life and to never forget the value of being considerate.  One of the most memorable acts of kindness that Juana’s son will remember always is when his mother opened her heart to a woman in need who came to her window in Buenos Aires asking for help.  Even though Juana's family lived on barely anything themselves, she made it a point to make the woman feel special by inviting her into her home to make her a sandwich and to spend a little time with her.  

Juana, along with her son, believed in the immortality of the spirit.  With her illnesses in recent years and her expected passing, her son now holds in his heart that his mother is free from an ailing body and believes that she will continue to explore her existence from a new perspective.  He will never forget the amazing selfless woman that he had the privilege of calling “Mom”.   

Juana was predeceased by her beloved husband Alfredo Sr. and her father Antonio Castro.  Left to cherish her wonderful legacy are her son Alfredo DeBarrera-Kelemen and his spouse, Joseph Kelemen, who was an incredible source of comfort and support the whole way through.

As per Juana’s wishes, all services were private.

Farewell Dear Mother

Somewhere in my heart beneath all my grief and pain,
Is a smile I still wear at the sound of your dear name.
The precious word is ‘MOTHER’, she was my world you see,
But now my heart is breaking because she’s no longer here with me.
 

God chose her for His angel to watch me from above,
To guide me and advise me and know that I’m still loved.
The day she had to leave me when her life on earth was through,
God had better plans for her, for this, I surely knew.
 

When I think of her kind heart and all those loving years,
My memories surround me and I can’t hold back the tears.
She truly was my best friend, someone I could confide in,
She always had a tender touch and a warm and gentle grin.
 

I want to thank you Mother for teaching me so well,
And though the time has come that I must bid you this farewell.
I’ll remember all you’ve taught me and make you proud you’ll see.
Thank you my Dear Mother for all the love you showed me.
Although you’ve left this earth and now you’ve taken flight,
I know that you are here with me each morning, noon and night.

Until we meet again, enjoy your wings 

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