Obituary of Rita Vangel

Rita (Afredita) Vangel, 93, of Easton, beloved wife of the late Stephen Vangel, passed away peacefully on November 14, 2014. Born in Cohoes, NY on July 28, 1921 she was the daughter of the late Chris and Kaliopi Vasil Nicolla and has been an Easton resident for over 45 years. She was a graduate of Albany High School and was a dedicated mother and grandmother as well as a longtime member of over 75 years at St. George Albanian Orthodox Church which after her family was her greatest devotion. In addition to being a homemaker, she worked alongside her husband Steve at the family run business, Crown Grocery on the East Side of Bridgeport. She was a longtime member and past President of the Teuta Ladies Society of St. George Church and she also represented the Eastern Orthodox Faith at the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport. In 1990 she was awarded the medal of Holy Illyria by the Archbishop Theodosius of the Albanian Archdiocese of America for over fifty years of devote service to St. George Church. In addition, she was also a founding member of the Easton Senior Center. Rita was known for her ever present smile and her genuine warm personality. Her loving gentle nature was surpassed only by her profound faith and strength of character in the face of adversities. She was an active fun lady who enjoyed traveling, baking and visiting with family and friends as well as a devote UCONN Husky fan and New York Yankee fan. She is survived by her son, Richard and his wife Karen and her daughter, Lorraine Vangel and her husband Peter Delvecchio, all of Easton, two grandchildren, Darren Vangel and his wife Sarah of VT and Ryan Vangel of Boston, MA, as well as several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brothers, Thomas C. Nicolla Sr. and Nicolas Nicolla. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. directly in St George Albanian Orthodox Church, 5490 Main Street, Trumbull, CT 06611. Interment will follow in Lakeview Cemetery, Bridgeport. Family and friends may call on Tuesday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. with a Trisagion Service at 6:30 p.m. in The Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Road, Trumbull. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St George Albanian Orthodox Church, or CT Hospice, 100 Double Beach Rd, Branford, Ct 06405.