REMEMBERING AWILDA BOSCH

By Noel Serrano

FLASH-Nov-Awilda Bosch, the beloved wife of the late Armando Bosch Jr quietly passed on last evening from a very chronic and debilitating ailment that she had been struggling with for sometime. Awilda yielded the spirit eight months after her husband went to be with the Lord. Awilda was a very friendly, rambunctious soul that brought everyone to love life with vibrancy and much joy. She very seldom was seen in a gloomy spirit. that was never in her nature. God graced her with a great love of life and a unique sense of humor.

I remember befriending her in the early 1970s .She had been brought up in a christian home and in a very loving atmosphere. As a young girl, she would often get into mischief and was always full of intensity and high energy. This would often get her in trouble. Rev. Felipe Santana, a longtime Pastor and friend from the Dominican Republic often recalled her with great fatherly love. He would often visit New York and stay over at Awilda's childhood home. "She was a very witty and lovely young lady with an infectious personality and high energy" declared Rev. Santana. Awilda Bosch came to "La Sinagoga" in her teen years. she was very popular with the youth as well as the older generation. She was always hanging around the action of the little chat circles of the church socials. The little kids all knew her and loved her because she was full of love and compassion for all. There were no pretenses with Awilda. I remember going with her to a Pizza restaurant with the Youth Group. The pizzas were all laid out at the sprawling table. Everyone took a slice. I took mine and quickly pulled out the fork and the knife and started attempting to cut it and eat it as if it were a piece of steak. This amused Awilda to such a capacity that she never let me forget it. She belted out a roar of laughter that swept the room with exuberance. All the young people joined with her. Awilda was so down to earth. She was the only one that would dare to chat with Rev.Abelardo Berrios as if he was part of her personal group of friends. Rev.Berrios admired her style and always spoke fondly of her. She was never a formal person and never stood on ceremony. She was Awilda. God gave her that grace, that beauty and that overflowing zest and love of life to touch the lives of all who knew her. she was loved by many because she was true. She was authentic. she was the real thing! No one could ever be mad at her. Her many circle of friends could not help but to love her and embrace her for the authentic and vivacious person that she was. Awilda was the type of person that labored lovingly and consistently behind the scene. She was not in the limelight but the limelight wanted to shine on her. Awilda Bosch faced the last years of her life with great pain, anguish and sorrow. Her beloved husband went first and it devastated Her. she started questioning why was all this happening to her. Rev Joaquin Maldonado consoled her in her final days and told her that it was a process of purification to reach the next level. He declared; "Many of our brave brothers and sisters that have now gone to Glory, also went thru this stage" Awilda is now with the Lord and where we all long to be, one day. The Gala Foundation mourns the passing of this beloved member of our family. We know that she has gone to a better place. she is now where we all long to be. She has now gone to her reward. she now rests in the loving Arms of the Lord.