Iraida Panela

Iraida (Alvarez) Panela, 96, of Portsmouth died Monday, June 1, 2015 at Warren Skilled Nursing Center of Warren, RI. She was the wife of the late Bob A. Panela.Born on October 3, 1918 in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, she was the daughter of the late Geraldo Alvarez and Felina (Lopez) Alvarez.Mrs. Panela was a communicant of St. Barnabas Church. She enjoyed gardening, board games and taking care of her grand and great grandchildren. She was known by Grammy by all the neighborhood children and those she cared for. Mrs. Panela worked as a beautician in New York City for 25 years before moving to Aquidneck Island with her daughter in 1979.She is survived by her daughter: Eneida DeJesus of Portsmouth, RI, and her sisters, Dilia Alvarez of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Carmen Perez of Brooklyn, NY, Freida Friedman of Far Rockaway, NY, Adriana Alvarez of Portsmouth, RI.She was the mother of the late Robert Panela and the sister of the late Osvaldo Alvarez, Jamie Alvarez, Providencia Trejo, Aurelia Leon, Petra Alvarez, Isabel Cabrera and Caridad Badino.Calling hours will be held on Friday, June 5, 2015, from 4-7pm in Connors Funeral Home, 55 West Main Road, Portsmouth, RI.Her funeral will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2015, at 10:30am from the Connors Funeral Home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 in St. Barnabas Church, 1697 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI.Burial will follow in St. Columba Cemetery, Browns Lane, Middletown.In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made the Alzheimers Association, 245 Waterman Street, Suite 306, Providence, RI 02906, or to the American Cancer Society Of Rhode Island, 931 Jefferson Blvd., Suite 3004, Warwick, RI 02886. Cemetery Details St. Columba Catholic Cemetery Chapel Brown's Lane Middletown, RI, Visitation JUN 5. 04:00 PM - 07:00 PM Connors Funeral Home 55 West Main Road Portsmouth, RI, US, 02871 info@memorialfuneralhome.com http://www.connorsfuneralhome.com Service JUN 6. 11:30 AM St. Barnabas Catholic Church 1697 East Main Road Portsmouth, RI, US