Agnes Elizabeth Padilla

My beloved mother, Agnes Elizabeth Padilla, was born on August 27th, 1937 to the late Agnes Tresco
(Demers) and Joseph Tresco. She was the second child of twelve siblings including her three surviving
sisters Pearl Velez, Babe Tresco, and Patricia (aka Tootie) Tresco. My mom was the shortest but the
toughest  sibling. She was affectionately called the Baby Bull growing up. She also affectionately
went by the nickname Sis.
My mom was a lifelong resident of New York. She was born in Manhattan and grew up in Brooklyn
before settling in the Bronx. She resided with and helped take care of her late mother in a four
bedroom apartment in the NYCH complex-Edenwald Houses.
My mom graduated from High School and worked to help her mother provide for a large family during
impoverished times; they lived through the recession. I recall my mom telling me stories of her and her
siblings collecting coal to sell to buy food. I recall my mom’s stories of working in an ink factory, and
going home covered in ink. My mom then landed a job at what used to be called the Bell Atlantic
Telephone Company. My mom worked split shifts, and all hours. She never called out sick. She
started out as a Telephone Operator and worked her way up to a Supervisory position. My mom
worked for the telephone company for 30 years, and retired on May 21 st , 1988.
On 3/22/1996, my mom moved to Co-op City two blocks away from where I had moved-to be closer to
me of course. My mom continued to take care of me and look out for me; I was always her baby
even at my age. My mom raised me as a single parent. My mom also helped care for and raise her
three grandsons Tony, Devon, and Donovan. She would do anything for them and visa versa. When
Tony was little, she and her friend Josie took him and his cousins Ronald and Daniel to Disney World.
She also took them to a lot more places. When Devon and Donovan were little, she always went to their
little league softball games and took them to the park and did activities with them.
Back in the days, my mom loved to travel with her best friends- the late Josie, and the late Kay. My
mom also made sure to visit family. When my mom drove, and when her late siblings Steve and
Elizabeth (aka Snookie) were alive, my mom made sure to take her late mother, me, my cousins Steve,
Eleanor (aka Ellie), and Aggie to visit them, and their respective families. My cousin Ellie fondly
remembers having to sit on the bumper in the back seat of my mom’s station wagon and us looking out
the back of the window. My mom also took us to visit her sister Patricia (aka Tootie) and her family. As
times moved on, and while her brother Eddie was in a home, my mom always sent him cards, packages,
and money. We were also able to visit him on a number of occasions, and he was able to stay with my
mom for a few Thanksgiving holidays before he passed. We would visit her sister Babe and my cousin
Steve, and his family, and enjoy BBQs at their homes. We would visit her Goddaughter Lisa and her
family often and traveled upstate to see her when she relocated. We went to her niece Aggie’s home to
meet Aggie’s first Grandson last year. We went to her niece Eleanor’s 55 th birthday party last year. My
mom was always present for special occasions, and enjoyed family gatherings. My mom never missed
Christmas Eve at her sister Pearl and brother-in-law Willie’s house. My mom, her sister Pearl, and Aunt
Mildred (her brother-in-law’s aunt) were affectionately called the Golden Girls when they were
together, and that nickname stuck. Me, my mom, her sister Pearl, her brother-in-law Willie, Lisa and her
family, always spent mother’s day together and Good Fridays. We went, about once a month, to Troy,to visit my oldest son Tony and his family. My mom would get up before everyone and cook us
breakfast. My son and his family’s Pit Bull rarely left my mother’s side when we were at their house. He
sat right next to her as she did her Word Find/Search books-something she loved to do in her spare
time. We always went to Walmart when we went to Troy. My mom always wanted to stock up on
supplies even though she didn’t need to. My mom would spend about $10 on herself and the rest on us.
She would cash in bottles and cans to give the money to her great granddaughters. My mom would
come to my house to visit her Great grandson Cameron when he stayed over or we would visit her, or
my son would take his son over her house. My mom made sure she packed a bag of toys for her great
grandson. They enjoyed playing with stickers and cars to name a few activities. My mom would get on
the floor (even though I told her not to) to play with her great grandson. She would also bring her great
grandson pieces of watermelon. My mom was always very giving to family and friends alike.
My mom was and is still loved by everyone she met. She made great neighbors, who became her
friends, in Co-op City. Her neighbors could count on her for more than just a cup of sugar. If you
needed anything my mom had it. She had a mini market in her home. She kept an abundance of
supplies and food to make sure those who needed did not go without. She decorated the hall of their
building on her floor for holidays to ensure that it was festive. She made sure she kept candy to give out
to her neighbors’ children including her friend Iris and Jack’s granddaughter who is now an adult. She
watered her friend Jackie and Jackie’s husband’s plants when they went away. My mom was so
trustworthy that her neighbor/friend left them the key to their apartment. My mom’s former co-worker
from the telephone company/friend Betty also lives in the building where my mom lived, and they
looked out for each other.
My mom was not only known in her building and on her floor, she was known to my neighbors who also
had the pleasure of experiencing her kindness and warmth. She was also known in the community for
traveling with her shopping cart (LOL) and frequenting Stop and Shop. She made friends everywhere
she went including many of Stop and Shop employees. The staff in the meat department would look out
for my mom but that’s because my mom always treated them with kindness and respect. She bought
them gifts on holidays and just because.
My mom never forgot to send out birthday cards and Christmas cards to family and friends. She made
sure to keep a surplus of cards handy in case anyone (namely me lol) needed a card for someone at the
last minute.
My mom was famous for her rice and beans and was called upon countless times to make her rice and
beans for various events for family, friends and my co-workers. Upon request, she gave out her recipe
but everyone else’s rice and beans never quite came out the same.
My mom leaves to cherish her memory: one daughter Elizabeth, three grandsons Tony, Devon, and
Donovan, four great grandchildren Amani, Toni, Akila, and Cameron aka Cam Cam, five Godchildren-Lisa
(her sister Pearl’s daughter), Aggie (her late sister Helen’s daughter), Shawn, Ronnie, and Alex (her
niece/Helen’s other daughter’s children), her three surviving sisters Pearl, Babe, and Patricia aka Tootie,
her brother-in-law Willie (Pearl’s husband), Millie (one of my best friends who I refer to as my sister),
who my mom affectionately referred to as her other daughter (from another mother), and a host of
nieces including Eleanor (aka Ellie), Lizzy, and Junie, nephews including 2 Steves, 2 Joeys, Willie,
Anthony, Michael, and Peter, great nieces, great nephews, dear friends, and neighbors.

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