Yvonne Eva Spinosa Moran, 94, passed away peacefully at Berlin (VT) Health and Rehabilitation Center on Thursday, April 9, 2020. Born in Sluise, Belgium, on May 18, 1925, she was the only child of the late Pierre and Victoria (Lesecque) Rutten.
Yvonne lived a simple yet rich rural life in Belgium, close to her family who farmed their land, raised animals, grew their own food and owned a cherry orchard. With the German occupation of Belgium during WWII, the horrors of this war left an indelible memory. Her home was confiscated by the occupiers. Family members died at the hands of the Germans. She and her parents sought sanctuary in nearby caves where she heard nightly bombers flying overhead toward England and elsewhere. In order to survive, her father, a skilled butcher, plied his skills secretly for neighbors and was paid in meat to feed his family.
Yvonne met her first husband, Cosmo “Mimi” Spinosa, during the war and they were married in Belgium in 1945. At war’s end, she came to the United States alone, penniless on a ship for war brides. She and Cosmo resided initially in Somerville, MA, where she learned English and became a U.S. citizen. When her parents were able to join her and Cosmo, they bought a small farm in Saugus, MA, and worked as dairy farmers.
After the farm was sold, Yvonne lived in a number of MA towns. She remained busy her entire life as a homemaker and enjoyed her loving family. She was an accomplished cook and a kind but no-nonsense mother who was very proud of her children. She loved a good game of Whist and knitting. Yvonne’s greatest passion, beyond her family, was nature and animals of every sort. When health issues made it impossible for Yvonne to live alone, she came to Vermont to live with her son, Sal, and his wife, Debi.
Yvonne’s husband, Cosmo, passed away in 1982. She is loved and mourned by her children, Salvatore Spinosa and his wife Debi of Waitsfield (and Debi’s children Ryan and Adam), Stephen Spinosa (deceased in 2010) and his wife Barbara of NY (and their children, Sunny and Evan), Vernon Spinosa and his wife Missy of ME, Michael Spinosa and his wife Lili of NH (and their children Renata and Salvatore), Melissa Cuevas and her husband Adolfo of MA (and their children Mya and Ray), and Melinda Costanzo and her husband John of MA; two great-grandchildren, Theo and Marco; her sister-in-law, Mary Erbafina, sister of Cosmo, of MA; and numerous relatives in Belgium.
Yvonne found love a second time, marrying Joseph Moran in 1989. Sharing 28 years together, Joe passed away in 2018. Joe is survived by numerous family members. Yvonne was particularly close to Joe’s son, Michael and his wife Cindy of NH. She enjoyed their special and loving relationship over the years.
Private family services will be held. For those who wish, memorial gifts would be appreciated to your local SPCA or Fast Friends Greyhound Rescue, Keene, NH. Arrangements are in the care of Perkins-Parker Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Waterbury, VT. To send online condolences, visit www.perkinsparker.com or the funeral home Facebook page.
