Mercedes America Velasco

Thanks be to God for the blessing of Mercedes America Villavicencio Velasco of Conway, SC who passed away on July 25, 2024 after a brief illness. She was 98 years old.

Born in Ibarra, Ecuador on May 7, 1926, she was the daughter of Commander Jorge Villavicencio and Mercedes Del Pozo Villavicencio. Raised in a loving and close-knit family, her father’s military leadership took the family to postings throughout Ecuador, including time on the Galapagos where he served as territorial administrator.

Resolute to the end, she lived life on her own terms. Here was a woman who, along with her brothers and sisters, had the courage to leave settled lives in Ecuador knowing it would open doors to new opportunities in the United States for all those who came after her. You will not find anyone, native born or immigrant, who loved this country more. Her passions were flowers, music, and – most importantly – her family.

After more than 50 years in Northern Virginia, she relocated to South Carolina to be near the sea, where she enjoyed the small pleasures – tangos and show tunes on the stereo, her collection of clocks, and a dependable supply of chocolate.

Mercedes was quietly spiritual. She saw God’s love reflected in the natural world. Her church was the open sky, the swell of the waves, the flowers quietly unfolding in a garden, the peaks of the Blue Ridge on Sunday drives, and the graceful movement of “her swans” in the lake behind her house.

She is survived by her children, Andrew Velasco (Debra) of Sterling VA; Cynthia Wright of Conway, SC; Milton Velasco (Michele) of Arlington, VA; Helena Cate of Leesburg, VA; Divah Sommers (Harry) of Chattanooga, TN; Jasmine Hauser (Kenneth) of Chicago, IL, one additional daughter and her husband.

The story of Mercedes and her siblings is classic in the history of a nation built by immigrants. Together, many of her brothers and sisters settled first in Washington, DC and then in Northern Virginia, bringing with them the traditions of Ecuador. They melded these customs with those of their adopted country in a way that was both meaningful and special. She is survived by siblings Maria Chestnut (Russell) of Annandale, VA; Dr. Olmedo Villavicencio (Elsa) of Annandale, VA; Flavio Villavicencio (Fanny, deceased) of Chantilly, VA; and Luis Villavicencio (Alice) of Conway, SC. She is preceded in death by

her siblings Dr. Jorge Villavicencio of Annandale, VA; Anita Herrera (Theodore, deceased) of McLean, VA; Isabel Serrano of Quito, Ecuador; and Gloria Villavicencio of Conway, SC, to whom she demonstrated great care and dedication in her sister’s final years.

Mercedes is survived by many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. She was loved by so many as a woman of conviction, but also as a woman of grace and humility.

We now say goodbye using the many names you carried with dignity, strength, and a smile. Goodbye to our hermana. Goodbye to our mommy. Goodbye to our tía. Goodbye to our Abita. Goodbye to my Nani. We will see you again “on another shore and in a greater light.”

Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.

Notably, the family wishes to thank the staff at Lower Cape Fear Life Care hospice who demonstrated such loving attention to our mother in her final days.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly ask that a donation be made to the organization at the following link: https://lifecare.org/donate/