Lucy Garau (nee Pocovi Bauza), 89 of Kearny, New Jersey passed away on August 19, 2020.
Lucy was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba. She was the child of Spaniard immigrants Jaime and Margarita Pocovi. Sadly, her sister, Ana Maria passed away two years ago but she is survived by her sister Margarita Alonso. Lucy’s life was an immigrant success story.
In 1955, at the age of 24, she left her country with her sister Ana Maria Pedroso to forge a path for her family to leave the rising Communist regime. She became an American citizen on January 23, 1961 and was able to legally move the rest of her family to the Unites States. Lucy’s family was small with her parents having been immigrants to Cuba so she was determined that no one would be left behind. After many struggles, obstacles, and trips back and forth to Cuba, Lucy’s family was all reunited in the United States by 1961. The entire family had found their new home. Lucy never returned to Cuba after that.
She had met her later husband Jaime Garau, in Cuba and in 1963 they married in the United States and began their family. Having been a seamstress in Cuba, Lucy worked in the garment industry for many years before deciding that she wanted to go to college. She received her Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education in 1974 from Jersey City State University and later received a Master’s degree from Kean College, followed by numerous teaching certifications. Lucy was an elementary school teacher in the Newark Public Schools for 17 years before retiring in 1993. Sadly, Lucy’s husband Jamie Garau passed away shortly after her retirement and their family visit to Spain. In each and every life endeavor, Lucy was a success, as a mother, wife, sister, daughter, seamstress, teacher, and family matriarch. She was also incredibly generous with her time and financial resources for the sake of helping her family be united. She enjoyed her time with the Ironbound Seniors and The Kearny Seniors.
Lucy is survived by her two daughters, Miriam Garau-Gargiulo and Colleen Williams, along with their spouses Sal Gargiulo and Edward Williams III, and her three beloved grandchildren, Jenine Marie Sarni, Jamie Anne Andrews, and Edward Williams IV. Additionally, she leaves her sister Margarita Alonso and her nieces and nephews, Margarita Viejo, Miguel Alonso, Jorge Carlos Alonso, and Henry Pedroso along with their spouses, children and their grandchildren. She also leaves behind extended family in Mallorca, Spain. There will be family visitation hours on Monday August 24, 2020 beginning at 11:00 a.m. in the Armitage Wiggins Funeral Home 596 Belgrove Drive Kearny and her funeral service will follow at 1:00 p.m. in The Holy Cross Cemetery Mausoleum Chapel
In lieu of flowers kindly consider a donation to the American Cancer Society or the American Heart Association.