Lucy Mimms

Lucy Mimms Eulogy
Born 06/26/1933
Died 10/31/2025
With heavy hearts we announce the passing of our cherished mother, Lucy Mimms, on October 31,2025. She battled a series of strokes and Alzheimer's for about 10 years. Her last acute stroke was on October 4, 2025. She is deeply mourned by her daughters, Nancy Diaz, Sonia Wilcox, and Yvette Lopez and her grandchildren, Sean
Diaz, Andrew Diaz, Michael Diaz, Rachel Diaz, Amaris Gomez, Ashton Gomez, Raymond Rivera, Justin Rivera, Victoria Lopez and Olivia Lopez.
Lucy was born Luz Maria Torres in Isabela, Puerto Rico in 1932 to Eugenia Castro and Victorio Torres. She was one of 10 children. They were a poor family who suffered through WWII and all the hardship that the war brought to the world. She followed her older sister Agustina to New York at 17 years of age and worked in a doll factory to help bring her parents and siblings to New York for a better life.
She was a good daughter. She brought her older sister who had contracted tuberculosis to a sanatorium in Staten Island and visited her diligently until she was cured and released. She was a good sister.
Lucy met Miguel Mercado and fell in love in downtown NYC where they lived until around 1960. They had three little girls that they raised with love and hard work. She
worked as a talented seamstress in the garment district for New York designers. After work she would come home exhausted and cook for her family. In her spare time she
would sew beautiful dresses and coats for her beloved daughters into the night, especially before Christmas and Easter. She was a loving mother to her daughters.
Our mom was fun loving. Though she worked all week, we went to the beaches, especially Coney Island on mass transit because we didn't have a car. She was fearless.
She enjoyed the Coney Island roller coaster and all the other wild rides. When dad bought a car we would go to Palisades Park, the Bronx Zoo, and museums or the upstate New York lakes. We didn't have much money, but we had a good life with Mom and Dad. They worked hard to move us to Queens, NY into a brand new 2 family home
in 1968. We were loved.
As we grew older OTB and gambling took our mother's time and marriage. We made sure she made time for us and her grandchildren. She enjoyed going to the Renaissance Faire, the beach, pool, and to our homes for birthdays and holidays. When she babysat she would teach our children to play dice and cards, well I mean math. She spent much of her free time at OTB and then graduated to the racetrack and casinos.
Her gambling only stopped when she got her first major stroke. She couldn't walk and by then Alzheimer's/dementia had set in. She still had her sense of humor and she loved life. I don't think she thought she would live so long, especially since she feared death. She loved life and she persevered, no matter what life threw at her.
She was loved by all, including our dad Miguel and her second husband Fred Mimms. She was a good soul and liked by everyone one who knew. Her caretakers and nurses at Parker Nursing, where she spent the last five and a half years of her life loved her wit and humor. We love you Mom and will miss you. May you be at peace in the great casino in the sky with your mom, dad and siblings that passed and waited patiently for you.
** Memorial Service **
*Date: Saturday, November 15, 2025
*Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm
*Place: Ruby Memorial Funeral & Cremation Services
2050 Rt 130
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
Arrangements are under the respectful care and direction of Funeral Director:
Christine Cuoco of Ruby Memorial Funeral Home.
Family & Friends may offer prayers and condolences at: www.rubymemorialhome.com