Stephanie Anne Muirragui

Stephanie Muirragui left us on April 23 in Jupiter, Florida, after injuries sustained in a car accident. She was born 12 August, 1986 in Orlando, Florida, to Pat and Gioconda Muirragui. Stephanie graduated from Winter Springs High School in 2004. She received her associate’s degree from Seminole State College of Florida and finished her bachelor’s degree at Florida Atlantic University. At the time of her death, Stephanie lived in West Palm Beach and was a popular personality and supreme bartender at Hokkaido Hibachi & Sushi in Jupiter.

Affectionately nicknamed “Turtle,” “Uncle Fef,” “Fe Fe,” “Stephies,” “Geggs” and “Stephbombs,” Stephanie always had a smile on her face, and was beloved by her large family and huge circle of friends. She had an infectious laugh, a colorful wardrobe and was constantly in motion, making the most of every single day. For her entire life, Stephanie had a deep and fearless love of animals. As a child, it was not uncommon to find Stephanie in her bedroom playing with garden snakes, spiders, turtles, squirrels and other neighborhood wildlife she found in her yard. As an adult, she volunteered for sea turtle nest excavation programs, and it was her dream to one day run and operate her own zoo. She was always taking care of animals. Her parents’ home aquarium is filled to this day with sea creatures Stephanie rescued and nurtured. A true Florida girl, Stephanie loved the ocean and spent most of her time barefoot and in a bathing suit. She filled her free time snorkeling, boating and fishing with friends and family. She was rarely seen without her Chihuahua “Chino” in tow. She was bi-lingual, fluent in Spanish, and was proud of her Ecuadorian heritage, and made many trips there over the years. She loved music, especially the Deftones, A Perfect Circle and Tool. Stephanie was always dancing and singing, even if she didn’t know the lyrics. Her family and friends would describe Stephanie as a free spirit and ray of sunshine. She was quirky, goofy, hilarious, and had a quick wit and a kind heart. She always found a way to bring people together, never held grudges and always saw the best in everyone. She always knew how to make someone in a bad mood feel better. She will be deeply missed.

Stephanie is survived by her parents, Pat and Gioconda; her brother Patrick and sister-in-law Jennifer; sister Pamela and brother-in-law Matthew; brother Fabi and sister-in-law Ali Michelle; brother Francis; brother Andrew and sister-in-law Sarah; nieces Lucy and Viviana; and nephews Greyson, Gabriel, Lucas and Christian.

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 27 from 5:00-7:00pm at Howard-Quattlebaum Funeral, Cremation and Event Center, 754 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach, FL 33408. A Mass of the Resurrection will be held on Thursday, April 28 at 2:00pm at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church, 9999 N Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Loggerhead Marine Life Center (http://www.marinelife.org/) : http://www.marinelife.org/help/donate-2/