Irma Mendez

Irma Mariana Mendez April 19, 1926 – July 25, 2016 Irma Comas de Mendez, formerly known as Irma Comas Agrait, 90, of Little Ferry, NJ, passed away peacefully at her home with her loving family at her side. She was born on April, 19, 1926 in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico to Antonio Comas Galliano and her loving mother Inocencia (Sara) Barber Boscio. She received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Puerto Rico in 1947 and a Master in Bilingual Education from Montclair State College in 1974. Irma dedicated her career as an elementary and secondary general education and bilingual educator from 1947-1991 working in Puerto Rico, Passaic, NJ, and Wilmington, Delaware, taking a break to raise her four children for 16 years. In 1958, with four children and her husband, William Edgardo Agrait, M.D., Irma migrated to New York from Puerto Rico. The family bought a home in Little Ferry in 1959, where she raised her four children. In 1974, Irma married her second husband, Luis Mendez and moved to Delaware where she lived until his death in 1999. She moved back to the family home in Little Ferry, where she lived comfortably as matriarch of the family. Irma and her second husband, Luis, an educator, shared a strong commitment of service to the Wilmington Latino community co-founding the first bilingual bicultural program in Delaware in 1974; co-founding Unidios Puertoriquenos En Accion, a community/parent organization and served as a board member of Catholic Charities in the Wilmington Archdiocese. Irma is survived by her children, Edgardo A. Agrait, William E. Agrait, Esq., Irma Rutkowski and her husband Chris; and Maritza Agrait; her grandchildren Brian Bush, Anthony P. Agrait, Mercedes R. Agrait and great grandchildren, Alyssa Bush and Hunter Bush. Her family thank friends for their blessings and best wishes in the same spirit Irma taught us all to live by every day. The viewing is scheduled for Wednesday, July 27, 2016 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Vorhees-Ingwersen Funeral Home, 59 Main Street, Ridgefield Park, NJ, Ph: 201 342-2350; The mass is scheduled for Thursday, July 28, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. St Margaret's of Cortona Church, 31 Chamberlain Ave, Little Ferry, NJ, Ph: 201- 641-2988. Donations in Honor of Irma's memory can be made to: Ascend Hospice,65 Jackson Drive, Cranford, NJ 07016.