Salvadora Barrachina Guasp, age 90, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family on Wednesday, November 27, 2019.
She was born in Valencia Spain in 1929, the youngest child of Francisco Barrachina and Salvadora Arago. Her childhood was profoundly influenced by the tumult and tragedy of the Spanish Civil War and the agony of losing her father as a result of it. Hurled into the workforce at the age of 12, she contributed to the family’s survival as a seamstress’ apprentice, a furniture finisher and a purveyor of olives in Benicalap’s open air farmer’s market until her marriage to Enrique (Henry) Guasp. With their two daughters they emigrated to the U.S. to join Salva’s brothers who had earlier fled the continued Fascist destruction of post war Spain and settled in Shelton.
While raising a family of four, Salva worked in a variety of jobs including Shelton Hosiery Mills, B.F. Goodrich and Hewitt Memorial Hospital where she retired after decades of dedicated service as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
In retirement, Salva and Henry invested themselves into helping to care and enjoy their grandchildren. She was their beloved and adored “Yaya”, who cooked their favorite Spanish foods, told the best stories and let them play in her garden. She always had tender words of advice, and kisses to soothe all wounds. She enjoyed traveling and even after her husband’s death continued to do so, with her children and grandchildren. Throughout the decades she nurtured her relationships with the family she left behind in Spain as well as the friends and family she had here. She was always up for any adventure with her daughters, from tossing coins in the Trevi fountain to dipping her toes in the Mediterranean as recently as last summer. Her sense of humor, optimism, resilience and work ethic were unparalleled. Although her education had been cut short by the Spanish Civil War, she was an avid reader who had a proverb, a joke and a song for every occasion. We will miss her so very very much but she lives on in the robust trove of happy memories we all have of her.
Salva was predeceased by Henry Guasp, her husband of 48 years, and all of her siblings Frank, John and Amparin Barrachina. She is survived by her children Maria Amparo Caporale and her husband Mark, Dr. Ima Guasp and her husband Hugh Donnelly, her son Henry Guasp and wife Karen and Anthony-Frank Guasp and his husband Daryn Marchi. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Kathryn and Kristen Gudsnuk, Eric Caporale, Anne, Laura and Caroline Donnelly; Henry, Marissa and Michael Guasp; and Adam and Zachary Marchi-Guasp. In addition, she is also survived by many adoring nieces, nephews in the U.S and her extensive family in Valencia, especially her cousins Fina and Hermi and her friend Brigida Segui, who were all like sisters to her.
The family wishes to thank the staff of Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County and her loving devoted home health aides Susana and Hilda Pujos who helped in her care for years.
Friends may greet the family at the Riverview Funeral Home, 390 River Road, Shelton, on Friday from 4 to 7 PM. On Saturday friends are invited directly to St. Margaret Mary Church, 50 Donovan Lane, Shelton for a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM. Burial will follow at Mt. St. Peters Cemetery in Derby.
Memorial contributions can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital (www.stjude.org). Online condolences can be offered at www.riverviewfh.com.
