Laurene Alexis de la Vega

Laurene was born in St. Mark’s Place, New York, NY to Olga Wowk and Joseph Michaels on September 14, 1942. Olga and Joseph divorced when Laurene was three and Alfred Gloddeck raised her from the age of five and was the only father she knew or acknowledged. She grew up in Jamaica, Queens, attended Presentation Grammar School, and graduated from the Mary Louis Academy. She majored in art and dreamed of being an interior designer.

When she graduated in 1960, she went to work for New York Telephone. After two years there, she was hired by Pan Am. Of all the different careers she had, this was the one she was most proud of. She became a ticket agent and worked her way up to the VIP Clipper Club desk in the Pan Am building, now the Met Life building. She had wanted to be a flight attendant, but at 5’9” she was an inch too tall. She had many important clients but always mentioned Lowell Thomas and Paul Newman. She received many commendations for her work and was featured in several articles in Pan Am’s magazine including one about taking her mother Olga to Ukraine to meet relatives.

During this same period, she became a member of the South Shore Beer Drinking and Car Racing Society and purchased a cream colored Austin Healey Sprite. With help from members of her auto club, she repaired and restored her car and raced it in Jim Conna’s. She recorded times at the time trials for the Daytona 500. Her oldest friend referred to her as having been a “career girl”.

Then in 1970, Alfonso de la Vega asked her to marry him and she eventually said yes. Despite a lot of conflict and struggle and life paths she could never have imagined, she remained a loyal wife to him her whole life. In 1973, they moved to Spain where Alfonso was from. They lived 11 years in Barcelona where her only child, Alessandra, was born. She was a member of the American Women’s Club and even served a year as president.

After the Socialist party came to power, Alfonso convinced her that they needed to leave Spain. The next four years were extremely challenging; they lost their entire savings and moved a total of five times. They even spent a summer with her mother Olga in Jamaica, Queens.

They eventually settled in New Fairfield, Connecticut. She worked at Alessandra’s school in several different positions, worked for Liberty Travel, and eventually finished her working life as a job trainer for Ability Beyond.

In 1997, she traveled to the Netherlands and Belgium with her daughter. Laurene was always there to support her daughter in all her school work, Girl Scouts, clubs, Emmaus, DARA, and any other group she became involved with. She welcomed all of Alessandra’s friends into their home as though they were another child of hers. She believed in Alessandra even when Alessandra didn’t believe in herself, loved her no matter the mistakes she made, and made more sacrifices than her daughter will probably ever know. She gave Alessandra the courage to strive to find a path that felt right to her. She gave her the strength to be alone rather than be with someone who was not right for her. She was Alessandra’s best friend, confidant, and biggest cheerleader.

Laurene is preceded in death by her parents, Olga Wowk and Alfred Gloddeck; her husband, Alfonso de la Vega; her brother-in-law, John Dondero; her sister-in-law, Sylvia de la Vega; her sister-in-law, Colleen Gillespie; and her niece, Silvia Blay de la Vega.

Laurene is survived by her daughter, Alessandra de la Vega; her sister, Judith Gloddeck Dondero; her brother, Alfred Gloddeck; her sister-in-law, Patricia de la Vega Lopez Lamadrid; and her nieces: Danielle Dondero Talone (Joseph Talone), Christine Dondero Germani (Anthony Germani), and Melissa Dondero Powers (David Powers); and her great nieces and nephews: Mia Powers, John Powers, Keira Powers, Emma Talone, Lilliana Germani, and Nicholas Germani.

A Rite of Burial will take place at 5:00pm on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at St. Ann Melkite Greek Catholic Church, 181 Clapboard Ridge Rd., Danbury, CT with a reception to follow at the church hall.

Interment of her ashes will take place at the mausoleum of St. Peter Cemetery, Danbury, CT at the convenience of the family.

Friends will be received from 4:00pm - 5:00pm on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at St. Ann Church, Danbury, CT.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Danbury Unites for Immigrants through: https://gofund.me/91f274108 in her honor.

Arrangements by Green Funeral Home, Danbury, CT.