Eladia Josefina Vega Welch was born in Colon, Panama, on January 30, 1945 to Eladio Jose Vega and Filomena Grant de Rose. Her mother and father both remarried, giving Eladia siblings on both sides whom she loved and cared for, as she was raised by her mother and step-father Lemuel Rose. She attended El Colegio Abel Bravo, graduating with a high school Diploma in Science in 1965. She went on to study as a lab technician, receiving an Associates Degree in 1967. In April of that same year, Eladia married Winston Rodolfo Welch Bundy in what was then the Catedral de Colon, now the Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción. She was blessed with her first son, Winston (Kuky), in September of 1967, followed by Raul (Tony) in January 1969.

In 1970, Eladia moved to Brooklyn, NYC with her husband and sons, and there they welcomed the third son, Jean-Pierre (JP), in December of 1971. In 1979 the family moved back to Panama, but Eladia soon moved back to the US, settling in Burlington, NJ in November of 1984, where she began working towards becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant for long-term care facilities. She was joined by her sons Raul and Jean-Pierre in 1985, with Winston (Kuky) following in 1987.

After receiving her certification, Eladia worked for many years with Virtua Hospital and the Masonic Home, receiving numerous Distinguished Service Awards for Outstanding Service, and the Memorial Health Longevity Award. She purchased a home in Willingboro, NJ, in 1996, and lived there with Kuky, his wife Joy, and their two children, Jovan and Giovanna. She retired from full-time work in 2018, but continued to work part-time as a nurses’ aide for a few years longer.

Eladia enjoyed traveling when she could, visiting the Bahamas, Cancun, the US Virgin Islands, and her birth country, Panama. Given her deep faith, she especially enjoyed a Catholic tour to Jerusalem in 2017. She was very active in the church until the COVID pandemic stopped outside activities. Eladia also enjoyed gardening, reading her Bible, and shopping with her best friend Sheri, but her favorite pastime was undoubtedly helping others, something she did countless times throughout her life. She was always willing to help as many members of her family as she could, near or far, and she often did it privately, believing that her ability to help others was a blessing from God, and that her rewards would be found in heaven. 

God took Eladia home on October 9th, 2025. She was pre-deceased by her eldest son Winston (Kuky) in 2014, as well as siblings Esteban (1994), Franklin (1994) and Eloisa (2024). Her immediate family in mourning are: sons Raul (Daisy) and Jean-Pierre (Leia), daughter-in-law Joy, grandchildren Anthony, Sierra, Jovan, Yew, Giovanna, Diana & Johannes; her Rose siblings Estela, Eduardo, Enrique, Evelia, Elias & Esther (Titi); and her Vega siblings Amalia, Eladio & Olga. In addition, she was blessed with a large number of nieces, nephews, cousins, other extended family, and good friends. Her devotion to God and her family was both exceptional and inspiring, and she will be profoundly missed. ☦

Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, October 18, 2025, 10:30am at the Corpus Christi R.C. Church, 11 South Sunset Road, Willingboro,NJ. Relatives and friends are invited to attend her viewing, Saturday morning, 9am - 10am at the Goes - Scolieri Funeral Home, 212 Veterans Parkway, Willingboro, Nj, (609)871-1000. Interment : Evergreen Cemetery, Lumberton,NJ.