Daphne Agostini

Daphne Agostini, also known as “Sister Daph”, “Big Sis”, “Mummy”, “Mom”, “Aunt Daphne”, “Granny”, “Grand-Ma” and “Great Grand-Ma” was born on March 14, 1927 in “Golden Grove Village”, East Coast, Demerara, British Guiana, now Guyana.

She was born to the late Harry Humphrey and Stella James and was the eldest of five children: Charles Adams (Buddie), Leonard Adams, Lutille, (Adams) also known as “Cutil” and Cerena (Euwart Culley) also known as “Zara”.

While in “Golden Grove Village”, Daphne attended the “Golden Grove Methodist School”. As a young girl, she moved to “South Cummingsburg, Georgetown” to live with her Aunt Lillian Kendall and her three cousins, Vera, Claudia and Marina. There she attended the “Carnegie School of Home Economics”. She mastered the art of hand embroidery, knitting, cooking and making pastries. Many tiny infant feet wore her hand knitted socks and her daughters and nieces learned from her the art of food presentation.

Daphne also attended Nursing school and was first awarded a “Certificate of Competency as a Nurse” on 19-Feb-1952 by the “Medical Department of British Guiana”. She then continued her Nursing education and was awarded the certificate of “Registered Nurse” on 17-May-1955 and later, the certificate of “Registered Midwife” on 3-Jan-1957 by the “General Nursing Council for British Guiana”.

She worked as a “Nurse” and a “Nurse Midwife” at the Public Hospital in Georgetown, Guyana from 1952 to 1967. During this time, she also attended “Trinity Methodist Church with her family and served as a “Sunday School Teacher”. She also was the “Girl Guide Leader” at the “Golden Grove Methodist Church”.

On May 3, 1952, she married the love of her life Malcolm A. Agostini. This marriage was blessed with three children, Gladys (Donna), Orin and Ingrid. They lived together with Malcolm’s mother, Gladys Caroline Agostini enjoying live in Guyana and travelling throughout the West Indies for the next 15 yrs.

In 1967, Daphne moved to Buffalo NY, USA, and was later joined by her immediate family. She worked as a Nurse at the “Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo” from 1967 until her retirement in 1987.

In 1990, she and Malcolm moved to Silver Spring, Maryland to be near Malcolm’s Siblings. She particularly enjoyed her friendship with her sisters-in-law, Clarice, Lynette, Olive, Marjorie, Ellen and Norma. Although Enid remained in Guyana, she continued her relationship with her as they travelled back and forth between Guyana and the USA.

In Silver Spring, the sisters-in-law often feasted together, cooking their favorite dishes and bringing out the fine china or the paper plates at each other’s homes to celebrate holidays, birthdays, graduations and important family accomplishments. She and Clarice collaborated on many sewing and smocking projects for babies and girls in family.

Although she enjoyed being an integral part of the entertaining, she relished in the times when her dear sisters Cutil and Zara showed up from Canada to totally spoil “Sister Daph” and “Mike”. She relished every moment that her younger sisters waited on her and treated her like a Queen.

Daphne was a “lady”. She was a very capable, dedicated wife and mother. She loved planting beautiful flower and vegetable gardens with her husband Malcolm. Many lingered to admire their garden as they passed by their home in Silver Spring. She loved travelling with Malcolm, their children and their spouses and grandchildren to various destinations to enjoy family time together.

Malcolm and Daphne became members of the “Silver Spring United Methodist Church” where they worshipped together until his demise on January 13, 2017. She was always willing to sacrifice her own needs and wants for the needs of others. She cared deeply for the welfare of others. Her strong faith sustained her through the injuries from a fall shortly after Malcolm died.

During the last year while she was confined to bed and unable to care for herself, she maintained a positive, humorous attitude declaring “I’m always happy!”. She was fond of the love and attention she received at home from all those around her daily, especially from her grandson, Anwaar and her son-in-law, Earl. She enjoyed the numerous visits she had from Orin and Ingrid along with her grand-children, great-grandchildren and other family members.

Daphne’s faith in the resurrection hope for which Christ died helped her to keep her sense of humor and to remain “always happy” until she took her last breath on the “Amen” of her last prayer on the morning of May 20, 2019.

Daphne is survived by her three children Donna (Earl Pace), Orin (Judine) and Ingrid (Bobby Nunn); grandchildren; Monica Pace (Murphy), Anwaar Pace, Alliah Agositni Livingstone (LeVaur), Robert Nunn, Alana Agostini and Nicole Nunn; great grandchildren; Neeka Murphy, Daphne Frances Livingstone and Alistair Livingstone; sisters Cutil and Zara, brothers-in-law; Euwart, Claude and Cyril, and her sisters-in-law; Lynette, Clarice and Olive.

She has a host of nieces and nephews whom she dearly loved and involved herself in their lives as if they were her own children. She especially grew fond of the ones who stayed in Buffalo while attending college. From those nieces and nephews she was also blessed with great nieces and nephews and great, great nieces and nephews.

Daphne was preceded in death by her husband, Malcolm and her two brothers, Charles and Leonard, her brothers-in-law Donald, Carl, Ralton, Aubrey and Desmond, her sisters-in-law Quida Rogers-Davies, Norma, Marjorie, Enid and Ellen.

She was dearly loved and will be sorely missed.

Lovingly Submitted, The Family

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Our family is grateful for your prayers, cards, calls and words of comfort during this time of bereavement. Your thoughtfulness and kindness is very much appreciated. We wish to express our deepest gratitude. May God continue to shed his mercy on each and every one of you.

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The family would also like to acknowledge the excellent care Daphne received from her caregivers from “Regent Healthcare” during the last 2 yrs, of her illness. She was also under Hospice care for 15 mths provided by the “Hospice of the Chesapeake”,

Words cannot express the gratitude we have for Kendra Graham of Regent Healthcare who tenderly cared for Daphne almost every morning and some evenings as though she were her own family and also for Jeri Newsome, RN who also cared for her some week nights and every other week-end.

Each Friday, the “Hospice of the Chesapeake” Nurse, Crystal Wooden, RN, examined

and assessed Daphne’s health to maintain her maximum comfort. She provided the

Nursing supervision needed along with their support staff and volunteers to provide Daphne with medical, physical and emotional support to keep her comfortable throughout her illness.

Daphne’s total care was supervised by Amy Schuler, DNP, CNP, her Primary Care Provider. We also wish to thank Amy for her excellence.

“HOSPICE OF THE CHESAPEAKE” is a non-profit organization. Donations in the memory of Daphne Agostini can be made via checks and mailed to:

Hospice of the Chesapeake

90 Richie Hwy

Pasadena, MD 21122

Or online at:

Hospiceofthechesapeake.org