Nilda Rosa Vázquez Jacobus

Nilda Rosa Vázquez Jacobus

1930-2022

After a long and active journey, Nilda Rosa Vázquez Jacobus ("Nani") passed away and returned to rest in Puerto Rico on 17 October 2022 at the age of 92.

Nilda was born on 23 August 1930 in Humacao, Puerto Rico, the daughter of Rosa Mercedes Larruz Antomattei and Miguel Isidro Vázquez Martínez. She spent her early years close to her younger brother Miguel and their cousins, Alicia and Alma, all raised together by their mothers, Rosa, Lydia and Anna. As a young person, Nilda excelled in school (she graduated from Humacao high school at 16) and loved to spend her time sewing, reading, and dancing.

Nilda began what was to become a lifelong career in the sciences when, at 16 she won a scholarship to attend the University of Puerto Rico, from which she graduated with a BS in both Biology & Chemistry in 1951, and then earned a masters in Sanitary Science in 1952. She continued working at UPR as an Assistant Professor of Microbiology from 1953 through 1962.

During her time at UPR, Nilda met and married Antero (Tito) Batista Cordero, with whom she traveled to NYC in 1957 so that Tito could attend Columbia Business School, and she worked as a lab tech at Knickerbocker hospital. During this time Nilda had her first child, Juan Carlos, returning to work after only a few days.

In 1962, Nilda won another scholarship - this time to attend an MPH program at UCLA. At this point Nilda and Juan's life changed dramatically as they relocated to Los Angeles and left behind her "beloved island". While in graduate school, not only did Nilda raise her young son Juan, but she worked as a Research Assistant, and met and married Herbert Joel Jacobus. In fact, she went into labor for the birth of her daughter, Michelle in the middle of a class!

Upon graduating from UCLA in 1968, with her keen skills and managerial abilities, she quickly advanced to leadership positions in microbiology labs at LA County and then at the Sepulveda VA. At the time, she was one of the first (and few) Latina women in leadership positions in the biological sciences in the mainland US. Again, during much of this time she was also teaching microbiology at night at Southwest Community College, as well as raising her two children (almost literally, backward and in heels - Nilda loved to dress stylishly and always wore heels).

In 1975, Nilda, along with many of her lab colleagues, accompanied her dear friend and colleague, Dr. Francis Tally, to open the Infectious Diseases lab of Tufts NE Medical Center, where she was a Senior Scientist, until 1985; and then a consultant from 1997 until her retirement in 2016 at the age of 85. During many of these years she was also an adjunct instructor at Northeastern University. From 1985 to 1997, she led labs at American Cyanimide/Wyeth in Pearl River NY.

Nilda moved to Maine in 2004 in order to be closer to her grandchildren and remade her life again as she became part of the community in Auburn, Maine and later Brunswick, Maine. During this last chapter of her life, Nilda thrived on being politically and socially active. Always a fierce Democrat, she participated in caucuses, volunteered for campaigns, and even attended the Women's March in January 2017 (at 86) along with her grandchildren. Nilda made sure to complete her absentee ballot in the last week of her life so her vote was also counted in the November 2022 election.

Nilda lived these past 18 years in Maine actively engaging with her community: She was a regular student at USM Senior College, where, in a class about Puerto Rico, she met other Puerto Rican seniors living in Maine with whom she has stayed very close over the years. She participated in a book club, enjoyed line dancing with close friends in Lewiston, volunteered at Curtis Memorial Library, and enjoyed attending Peoples' Plus activities in her last months. She was an accomplished seamstress, making not only Halloween costumes for her daughter and grandchildren, but her daughter's prom and wedding dresses. The treasure of her life in her later years were her grandchildren: Dante, Luka, Sophie, Caden, and Bella. She was delighted by their accomplishments, amused by their humor, and so very proud of the young adults they have become - she was able to see each of them graduate from high school, and the oldest two graduate from college.

Nilda's strength lives on in her son Juan Carlos Batista and his wife Joell; her daughter, Michelle Vázquez Jacobus and her husband Robert Baskett; her sister Sonia Vázquez Martínez; her grandchildren, Dante Jacob, Luka Rosa and Sophia Rosa Baskett; and Caden Carlo Antero and Bella Rosa Batista, as well as dear nieces, nephews and cousins, in whom Nilda's fire burns bright. She also leaves a number of very dear friends, many who were like family, who miss her deeply.

Our family thanks the caring, patient, and kind professionals at Neighbors and Family Care Plus in Maine and Ivy Park in Salinas CA, who made it possible for Nilda to spend her last year engaged and available to those she loved.

Nilda was laid to rest beside her dear mother, brother, sister-in-law and aunt in the family plot in Humacao PR.

A service in celebration of her life will be held on 6 Jan 2023 (Three Kings Day)at 1:00 pm at The Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in her name, Nilda Rosa Vázquez Jacobus, to one of the following organizations:

- League of Women Voters' Education Fund https://www.lwvme.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=17

- Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick, ME

https://curtislibrary.kindful.com/

- Puerto Rico Grita

https://www.prgritaoficial.com/

"snow/storm" date for our service will be on Saturday, Jan 7, same time and place.