Anthony Walter Lagonowicz
Died
LAGONOWICZ, ANTHONY WALTER, of Miami, Florida, passed away on September 26, 2019, at the age of 96. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on April 19, 1923. Walter was educated by and would go on to discern a vocation with, the De La Salle Christian Brothers, whose mission it was to provide a Catholic education to the poor. When the opportunity presented itself for Walter to continue his work with the Brothers in Bluefields, Nicaragua, he took it, as he had become fluent in Spanish during his studies at Manhattan College and then at Fordham University. After completing his service with the Brothers, Walter would go on to marry Lyl de Maria Zuniga, of Jinotepe, Nicaragua. Walter and Lyl had one son, Peter Anthony Lagonowicz. The family would later leave Nicaragua in 1978, just before the rise of the left-wing Sandinistas. They lived briefly in New Milford, Connecticut before finally settling in Miami, Florida. Before retiring, Walter spent more than 25 years in various roles at Westchester General Hospital and its affiliate Southern Winds Hospital. Those who had a chance to meet Walter will always remember him fondly, as he had a special way of making an almost instant connection with the people he would meet by taking a sincere personal interest in them. Throughout his life, Walter was unwavering in his Catholic faith and was an active participant in the life of the Church. Even in his final years, when it was no longer possible for him to attend daily or even Sunday Mass, Walter would ask for and receive the Eucharist at home. Joining him in this deep faith, we are hopeful that Walter will be welcomed into the radiant presence of the Lord and that he will be reunited in Heaven with Lyl, his brothers and sisters, and his parents and other deceased loved ones. Finally, we honor one of Walter's final wishes by recognizing in a special way and saying thank you to his nieces and nephews who warmly welcomed him into their home to spend his final couple of years, the Zuniga Vega family: Fofo, Ana, Alejandro, Gabriel, and Mary. Walter is also survived by Peter, his son, and his daughter-in-law, Luly, and his three granddaughters: Sofia, Alexia, and Carolina. Mary and Joseph, pray for him. Saint Anthony, pray for him. Saint John Baptist de La Salle, pray for him. Saint Marcellin Champagnat, pray for him. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, pray for him.
Source: The Miami Herald
Published on: 04-10-2019