Adelaida "Aida" Vecchio

Adelaida “Aida” Vecchio (nee Uypico), has joined her daughter Antonette, in eternal repose on December 26, 2023 at age of 76 years old. She passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones. Devoted Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt and Friend, Aida was born on May 24, 1947 in San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines to Sulpicio and Gertrude Uypico, both deceased. Aida left behind a legacy of love that she nurtured throughout her life. She had many names - Honey, Sweetheart, Mom, Mommy, Ma, Momski, G-Ma, Grandma, Lola, Auntie, Tia, Tita but for all, she was their HERO. She helped everyone with her generosity and kind heart with no reservation. She was devout Catholic. She attended church on a regular basis regardless of her health. She prayed her rosary on a daily basis. Her religion and loved ones gave her the strength to continue life despite the illness she was presented with. She is the strongest woman anyone could have ever known. As someone said about Aida to her daughter: “When I die and have a chance to come back, I want to come back as a spirit of Aida. She has struggled with cancer for so long but remained positive and selfless”. THAT SHE WAS!!! Her journey through life was full of adventures, excitement and ever flowing happiness, challenges and most importantly, love. Aida was a born leader. Before immigrating to the U.S., she was a businesswoman in the Philippines. She owned, operated and managed single-handedly a bakery in order to support her young children Michael, Antonette and Suzette whom she loved dearly at young age of 27. However, her journey had just begun at this point. She wanted more for her family and in year 1978, she made a heart-breaking decision to leave her children and emigrated to the U.S. and face the challenges that may lie ahead for the betterment of her family’s future. Her early life in the U.S. was not without its struggles and obstacles, however, she strived through it all. She took odd jobs to support her family back in the Philippines. And in late summer of 1982, she finally met the love of her life, Joe, and married on September 28, 1985 and settled in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Soon after, Aida and Joe were joined by her children, in the United States and together, they formed a big, beautiful and happy family. Aida and Joe lived a blissful life with their children and grandchildren. They enjoyed sailing together on the Barnegat Bay. Aida learned to sail with no hesitation. They participated in many activities such as playing racket ball, tennis, and other watersports. She loved the outdoors and she loved hiking and enjoyed gardening tremendously. They enjoyed watching their grandchildren’s sports and school activities. In her later years, she enjoyed playing Mahjong with her three children. This was their Friday night bonding. Aida was always a mother and wife first, and second a businesswoman. However, Aida’s first love was cooking. Soon after Aida and Joe met, she owned and operated her own luncheonette in South Plainfield, New Jersey called “Aida’s Favorite Spot” in 1983. Her luncheonette soon became a real favorite spot for the locals. She honed in on her skills further to serve her customers with home cooked, delicious and filling meals. She treated her customers like family. She fed them like she fed her husband and children. She was really proud of her luncheonette and what it did for the community. She worked hard at it. She woke up every day at dawn to prepare for the day ahead and after closing in the afternoons, she physically shopped for the following day’s ingredients for the meals she was serving. She only believed in serving fresh meats and produce to her customers as she would her family. Regardless of her long hours at work, she still believed in providing her family fresh home-cooked meals every night. After years of operating her business, Aida decided to pursue a different path. But she continued to pursue her love of cooking and serving her meals to others. A new path had taken her to a new career. As a businesswoman, she always wanted to take control of finances. What better way but to help her husband in his accounting practice as well work as a full charge bookkeeper outside her husband’s firm. She diligently worked for Stephen Liebow, CPA in Hillsborough, New Jersey from 1992 to 1997 then, the firm merged with Shapiro and Shapiro, CPA in Warren, New Jersey and she continued to work there until her retirement in 2012. However, she continued her career by working part-time with Lane and Lane of Somerville, New Jersey until 2022. Even with her long bookkeeping career, she continued with her love of cooking. She took classes to learn more in French and Italian cuisine. She relentlessly learned and improved her skills by cooking and entertaining her family, friends and colleagues. For anyone who knew her, she was Aida, the Chef, the hostess with the mostest. She entertained and fed everyone with a smile on her face. She truly took pleasure in seeing everyone enjoying the fruits of her labor. Aida’s name is synonymous to “Best Rice Pudding” ever -her specialty. Her skills, of course, were not limited to this. She was a champion of Italian, French and Filipino cuisine. All will truly miss her cooking. Aida left behind many who loved her, her husband Joe, her daughter Suzette and her husband Steven of Middlesex, her son Michael and his wife Tina of Lanoka Harbor. She left her grandchildren whom she loved the most, Giuseppe Raymundo of Somerville, Janvier Raymundo of Bridgewater, Megan Reyes of Indiana, Tristan Reyes of New York, Joseph McCauley of Middlesex and Helda McCauley of Colorado. She also left behind her sister, Virgie Nepomuceno and brother, Dante Uypico of the Philippines, her niece Fe Stephenson of Australia and her numerous nieces and nephews in the Philippines, Canada and Australia. She was predeceased by her sisters, Gloria, Noemi, Adora, Marissa, and Leticia, her brothers, Joselito, Ramon, Efren and Melvin. She also left behind many extended family and friends. The visitation will be on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Ketusky Funeral Home, 1310 Brooks Blvd., Manville, NJ 08835. The Funeral will be on Wednesday, January 3, 2024 8:00 AM from the Ketusky Funeral Home followed by a 10:00 AM Mass at The Church of the Immaculate Conception, 35 Mountain Ave., Somerville, NJ 08876. Burial will follow at St. Bernard Cemetery in Bridgewater, NJ.

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Adelaida "Aida" Vecchio

May 24, 1947 - December 26, 2023