Evangeline Paredes at 110: A birthday gift to America

By Bing Branigin and Jon Melegrito

Evangeline Abellera Paredes turned 110 years old on July 26.

Her exemplary life of service to this country is inspiring and empowering. To honor her birthday is to celebrate a gift to America.

Possibly the oldest citizen in the nation’s capital, Vangie – as she is affectionately called by family and friends — is not one to bask in the number of years in her life but the life in her years. She credits her excellent memory and longevity to a life of service. And she is donating her brain to science to find a cure for Alzheimer’s.

She has survived two World Wars and seven pandemics, traveled to six continents around the world, served in jobs with significant national and global impact — as secretary to world leaders, diplomats and generals — protested in the streets and in the halls of Congress, and led a community effort to envision, plan and ultimately fight to build and finance a senior wellness center for black families in Washington, D.C.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 26, 1916, Vangie is the third oldest of eight children by Tomas Rulloda Abellera, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War I, and Francisca Estrada, who was born in Asturias, Spain.  In 1941, she married Juanito Paredes, the nephew of a prominent Filipino politician from the province of Abra.  They raised a son, Juan, 78, who also lives in the city.

When World War II broke out, the Commonwealth Government of Manuel L. Quezon went into exile and established its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Vangie was hired as President Manuel Quezon’s secretary.

In 1957, she went on to serve in the U.S. Department of Defense, where her skills as a stenographer were highly valued by the Pentagon’s top brass.  She remembers being the only person allowed in highly classified meetings to take notes.

“The generals would be talking about building drones and other kinds of weapons,” she recalled. “They trusted me with the nation’s secrets.”

She retired from the Pentagon after 30 years with the highest civilian award given to federal employees.

Giving back to the community       

On her 109th birthday, she was asked what she is most proud of.  Without hesitation, she said, “I helped raise funds to build a senior wellness center in Washington, D.C. I lived in that neighborhood for most of my life.”

Established in 1985, the Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center serves mostly black families. “Building the center was my way of giving back to the community,” she said.

Her active involvement with AARP for decades after her retirement taught her about benefits that seniors in her neighborhood weren’t aware of – like access to wheelchairs and walkers, clothing and housing.

“I want to make life easier especially for poor people, to live at home in retirement instead of going into an institution,” she said.

Over the years, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has recognized Vangie for her “advocacy, hard work and tenacity” and her long record of service to D.C. residents. The mayor praised her “for always ensuring a seat at the table for those who often go unheard.”

In her 70s when she retired, Vangie continued to volunteer well into her early 90s. Retirement for her meant rewarding opportunities to serve: joining the Filipino American community to protest racial injustice, visiting veterans in hospitals, offering personal assistance to their families, and lending her energy and experience to organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Auxiliary, AARP Capitol Hill Strike Force, and Senior Medicare Patrol.

In 2010, AARP honored Vangie with the Andrus Award, the most prestigious volunteer recognition of “outstanding volunteers aged 50 and older who enrich their communities through selfless service, and dedicate their experience, talents, and skills to improve the lives of others.”

Vangie has been blessed with a sharp memory, remembering all the way back to her childhood in Brooklyn. She considers it “a great honor” that doctors at Johns Hopkins University had asked her to donate her brain so they can find a cure for Alzheimer’s. They were amazed with her uncanny ability to remember details from her distant past.

“I did not hesitate to say yes. I’m glad I can help,” she said gleefully.

Vangie is living history, a link between the past and the present. She makes America’s 250th birthday even more special because of who she is and what she has given to this country.

For more information about Evangeline Paredes, contact: mcbranigin@aol.com, jdmelegrito@gmail.com