Brunilda Vega

Brunilda Vega, 88, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 13, 2016, in San Antonio, Texas. Nina, as her family and friends knew her, was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico on August 16, 1927, to Santiago “Don Chago” Piñeiro Cordero and Amparo del Carmen. Losing her mother when she was only four years old, Nina was raised by her maternal grandmother, Mercedes Donis, affectionately known as Mama Mercedes, who provided Nina with the love, discipline, honor, and the sense of the importance of family that was the basis of how Nina lived her entire life. Nina married Juan Vega Jimenez, known as Pio, on July 23, 1948 and they were inseparable until he passed away in February 2015. Nina supported Pio throughout his military career, but also supported the family working as a bilingual executive secretary with banks, educational institutions, and with the U.S. Agency for International Development in Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama. After she retired she dedicated many years as a volunteer teaching English as a second language and creating an extended family wherever she taught.

However, despite all of her professional accomplishments what was most important to Nina was her family. Whenever she was needed, she answered the call. She shared her love of life and family with her grandchildren who will always remember her home as a place of music and games, wonderful home-cooked meals, laughter, caring, support, love of animals, and yes, discipline when needed. She was after all, Nina.

And she loved to dance! How she loved to dance! Even though she was confined to a wheelchair the last few years of her life, all it took was to play some music and she would dance. And just a few days before we lost her we played the music and she was dancing! We will truly miss her love of life and youthful exuberance; even though she was just 3 days shy of being 89 years old.

Nina is survived by sons Jaime Vega and his wife Jinny, Jorge Vega and his wife Sarah Thomas-Vega; grandchildren, Jennifer Sorrells, Cynthia Vega, Rebecca Yell, and Christopher Vega; great-grandchildren, Franklin Sorrells III, Javier Mina-Vega, Sofia Mina-Vega, Katelyn Whatley, Lilly Yell, Dylan Bowman, and Juan Lucas Vega. She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Juan P. Vega, and her eldest son Juan “Johnny” Vega. Que dios te bendiga.