Mercedes Zenaida Jeffords of Newport News, Virginia, 89 years young, passed away unexpectedly at her home on December 27, 2018. She was the daughter of the late Luis Basilico Tagorda and Luz Magdalena Azcarate of Echague, Isabella, Philippines. She is survived by four sisters, who still reside in the Philippines.
She moved to the United States where she met her loving husband of 63 years, Thomas H. Jeffords. He always and continues to say he found his "Million Dollar Baby in a five and ten cent store", (sung by Bing Crosby). Thomas met Mercedes at the Woolworth store where she was employed at the time in Gainesville, Florida.
Her marriage to the love of her life resulted in her four surviving daughters, Jane Olsson (Par), Elizabeth Kolb (Bradley), Martha Elliott, and Linda Knight. She is also survived by four grandchildren; Anita, Kristina, Andrew, and Sarah. In addition, there are 9 great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews to carry on her legacy.
She held many positions throughout her professional life. Her love and talent for dancing led to her first dancing at the U.S.O. in the Philippines right after World War II, and then becoming a dance instructor for the Fred Astaire Dance Studios, where she had to learn 20 different dances. Her love of crafts and the arts led to a position as a manager of the Ceramics Shop at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Mercedes' love of children also led to a job with McDonald's as the store activity representative. Throughout her lifetime, she volunteered for numerous activities. She volunteered at different military bases teaching Sunday School. This led to her Associates Degree in Early Education from Thomas Nelson College, which she proudly earned at the age of 75 in 1994.
She is most proud of her accomplishments as a volunteer with the International Military Students at Ft. Eustis, Virginia. This program is designed to provide international students with the opportunity to became acquainted with the American family and our way of life. Mercedes and Thomas met and sponsored many young men and women from different countries. Her proudest group of students hailed from Taiwan. She continued relationships with them until the time of her death. Too many names to mention, they became and will always be, a permanent part of the Jeffords family.
Services to celebrate Mercedes' life will be on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 10:00 AM at St. Jerome Catholic Church. The family will receive friends at the Peninsula Funeral Home on 11144 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, Virginia on Saturday, January 12, 2019 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM. Interment services will be on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at 1:00 PM at the Albert J. Horton Memorial Veterans Cemetery, 5310 Milner Rd., Suffolk. Virginia.
Published in Daily Press on Jan. 3, 2019
She moved to the United States where she met her loving husband of 63 years, Thomas H. Jeffords. He always and continues to say he found his "Million Dollar Baby in a five and ten cent store", (sung by Bing Crosby). Thomas met Mercedes at the Woolworth store where she was employed at the time in Gainesville, Florida.
Her marriage to the love of her life resulted in her four surviving daughters, Jane Olsson (Par), Elizabeth Kolb (Bradley), Martha Elliott, and Linda Knight. She is also survived by four grandchildren; Anita, Kristina, Andrew, and Sarah. In addition, there are 9 great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews to carry on her legacy.
She held many positions throughout her professional life. Her love and talent for dancing led to her first dancing at the U.S.O. in the Philippines right after World War II, and then becoming a dance instructor for the Fred Astaire Dance Studios, where she had to learn 20 different dances. Her love of crafts and the arts led to a position as a manager of the Ceramics Shop at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Mercedes' love of children also led to a job with McDonald's as the store activity representative. Throughout her lifetime, she volunteered for numerous activities. She volunteered at different military bases teaching Sunday School. This led to her Associates Degree in Early Education from Thomas Nelson College, which she proudly earned at the age of 75 in 1994.
She is most proud of her accomplishments as a volunteer with the International Military Students at Ft. Eustis, Virginia. This program is designed to provide international students with the opportunity to became acquainted with the American family and our way of life. Mercedes and Thomas met and sponsored many young men and women from different countries. Her proudest group of students hailed from Taiwan. She continued relationships with them until the time of her death. Too many names to mention, they became and will always be, a permanent part of the Jeffords family.
Services to celebrate Mercedes' life will be on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 10:00 AM at St. Jerome Catholic Church. The family will receive friends at the Peninsula Funeral Home on 11144 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, Virginia on Saturday, January 12, 2019 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM. Interment services will be on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at 1:00 PM at the Albert J. Horton Memorial Veterans Cemetery, 5310 Milner Rd., Suffolk. Virginia.
Published in Daily Press on Jan. 3, 2019
Mercedes Zenaida Jeffords of Newport News, Virginia, 89 years young, passed away unexpectedly at her home on December 27, 2018. She was the daughter of the late Luis Basilico Tagorda and Luz Magdalena Azcarate of Echague, Isabella, Philippines. She is survived by four sisters, who still reside in the Philippines.
She moved to the United States where she met her loving husband of 63 years, Thomas H. Jeffords. He always and continues to say he found his "Million Dollar Baby in a five and ten cent store", (sung by Bing Crosby). Thomas met Mercedes at the Woolworth store where she was employed at the time in Gainesville, Florida.
Her marriage to the love of her life resulted in her four surviving daughters, Jane Olsson (Par), Elizabeth Kolb (Bradley), Martha Elliott, and Linda Knight. She is also survived by four grandchildren; Anita, Kristina, Andrew, and Sarah. In addition, there are 9 great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews to carry on her legacy.
She held many positions throughout her professional life. Her love and talent for dancing led to her first dancing at the U.S.O. in the Philippines right after World War II, and then becoming a dance instructor for the Fred Astaire Dance Studios, where she had to learn 20 different dances. Her love of crafts and the arts led to a position as a manager of the Ceramics Shop at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Mercedes' love of children also led to a job with McDonald's as the store activity representative. Throughout her lifetime, she volunteered for numerous activities. She volunteered at different military bases teaching Sunday School. This led to her Associates Degree in Early Education from Thomas Nelson College, which she proudly earned at the age of 75 in 1994.
She is most proud of her accomplishments as a volunteer with the International Military Students at Ft. Eustis, Virginia. This program is designed to provide international students with the opportunity to became acquainted with the American family and our way of life. Mercedes and Thomas met and sponsored many young men and women from different countries. Her proudest group of students hailed from Taiwan. She continued relationships with them until the time of her death. Too many names to mention, they became and will always be, a permanent part of the Jeffords family.
Services to celebrate Mercedes' life will be on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 10:00 AM at St. Jerome Catholic Church. The family will receive friends at the Peninsula Funeral Home on 11144 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, Virginia on Saturday, January 12, 2019 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM. Interment services will be on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at 1:00 PM at the Albert J. Horton Memorial Veterans Cemetery, 5310 Milner Rd., Suffolk. Virginia.
Published in Daily Press on Jan. 3, 2019
She moved to the United States where she met her loving husband of 63 years, Thomas H. Jeffords. He always and continues to say he found his "Million Dollar Baby in a five and ten cent store", (sung by Bing Crosby). Thomas met Mercedes at the Woolworth store where she was employed at the time in Gainesville, Florida.
Her marriage to the love of her life resulted in her four surviving daughters, Jane Olsson (Par), Elizabeth Kolb (Bradley), Martha Elliott, and Linda Knight. She is also survived by four grandchildren; Anita, Kristina, Andrew, and Sarah. In addition, there are 9 great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews to carry on her legacy.
She held many positions throughout her professional life. Her love and talent for dancing led to her first dancing at the U.S.O. in the Philippines right after World War II, and then becoming a dance instructor for the Fred Astaire Dance Studios, where she had to learn 20 different dances. Her love of crafts and the arts led to a position as a manager of the Ceramics Shop at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Mercedes' love of children also led to a job with McDonald's as the store activity representative. Throughout her lifetime, she volunteered for numerous activities. She volunteered at different military bases teaching Sunday School. This led to her Associates Degree in Early Education from Thomas Nelson College, which she proudly earned at the age of 75 in 1994.
She is most proud of her accomplishments as a volunteer with the International Military Students at Ft. Eustis, Virginia. This program is designed to provide international students with the opportunity to became acquainted with the American family and our way of life. Mercedes and Thomas met and sponsored many young men and women from different countries. Her proudest group of students hailed from Taiwan. She continued relationships with them until the time of her death. Too many names to mention, they became and will always be, a permanent part of the Jeffords family.
Services to celebrate Mercedes' life will be on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 10:00 AM at St. Jerome Catholic Church. The family will receive friends at the Peninsula Funeral Home on 11144 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, Virginia on Saturday, January 12, 2019 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM. Interment services will be on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at 1:00 PM at the Albert J. Horton Memorial Veterans Cemetery, 5310 Milner Rd., Suffolk. Virginia.
Published in Daily Press on Jan. 3, 2019
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