Berta Argentina Mangual's Obituary
Berta Argentina Mangual passed away at the age of 80 in Redwood City, California. She died peacefully in the hospital, with her son John by her side and surrounded by her loved ones.
Berta was born on July 27, 1945, in Nicaragua. In pursuit of a better life for their families, her mother Irma and her aunt Lola made the difficult decision to travel first to the United States, leaving the children behind in Nicaragua. During that time, Berta, her brother Robert, and cousin Socorro remained in the loving care of their grandmother, Berta Cuadra, who provided stability, guidance, and unconditional love while the family worked toward reunification. In 1958, the children were finally brought to the United States, reuniting with their mothers and beginning a new life together.
The family settled in the Mission District of San Francisco, where Berta grew up, attended high school, and shared a small flat with many family members. Life was modest, but rich in love, culture, and perseverance. Berta began her career at Wells Fargo, where she worked for over 30 years before retiring in 2002. She was deeply proud to become a United States citizen, a milestone that reflected her journey, determination, and the sacrifices made by her family.
A single mother and sole provider, Berta raised her two sons, Martin and John, with strength, discipline, and unwavering commitment. She taught her boys life skills early on, including laundry, dishes, and household responsibilities, instilling independence, responsibility, and respect. A Catholic education was extremely important to her, and she did whatever it took to keep her sons in school.
Berta devoted much of her life to caring for others. She lovingly cared for her mother Irma, supported her beloved sister Lillian through dementia in ways few could, and was a constant source of help and care to her cherished niece Lisa Manzanares. Berta lived in Daly City with her sister Lillian Hunter, later with Lisa and Sophia Manzanares, and eventually spent her final four years in San Mateo with her son John and daughter in law Lori Mangual, who cared for her through her illness.
She was a devout Catholic. Her faith guided her decisions, shaped her values, and carried her through every hardship she faced. She prayed daily, finding comfort and strength in her routine. She hosted Bible study groups in her home. Her faith was not something she talked about, it was something she lived every single day. It gave her peace, purpose, and joy.
She found happiness in simple pleasures. She loved to crochet, watch movies, listen to Elvis, and especially cherished Christmas. She collected angels and ceramic masks and fulfilled a lifelong dream of traveling to Jerusalem and visiting the Holy Land.
Strong willed, stern, opinionated, and honest, Berta never held back her thoughts. She spoke her mind clearly and directly, and those who truly knew her understood that beneath her firmness was a deeply loving and devoted heart.
Berta is survived by her son John Mangual and his wife Lori Mangual, and son Martin Mangual and his wife Jennifer Mangual. She is also survived by her grandchildren Desiree Porras, Johnny Mangual, Jessica Mangual, Xander Mangual, Leslie Mangual, Emily Mangual, and Darein Mangual, as well as her great grandchildren Oliver Porras, Franklin Porras, and Amelia Porras. Berta absolutely adored her grandchildren. She spent time with them every chance she had, actively attended their events, babysat, and loved going to Disneyland with them.
She is also survived by many beloved family members who were raised more like siblings than cousins, including Socorro Mateu, Joe Mateu, Mario Fernandez, Gloria Johnson and others dearly loved. Junior Gutierrez and Anna Gutierrez preceded her in death.
She was also preceded in death by her sister Lillian Hunter, her brother Robert Hunter, and her niece Lisa Manzanares.
Berta’s legacy is one of deep faith, sacrifice, honesty, resilience, and unconditional love. She lived for her family, gave without hesitation, and left behind generations shaped by her strength. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.
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