Eugenia Virginia Roncal, of St. Louis, Missouri fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church, went to be with her Lord Jesus Christ, June 13, 2019 from her home. Beloved wife of the late Guido A. Roncal; dearest mother of Guido (Yolanda), Glenn (Karen), and B. Roy (Catherine Forslund Ph.D.); grandmother of Richard (Susan), Christopher (Michael Ciarleglio), Paul (Christina), and Juan Alexander; sister of the late Jose “Pepe” Rivero, Mario Rivero retired Architect (the late Beatriz), and the late Juan B. Rivero D.D.S. (Isabel).

Eugenia was born December 29, 1929 in La Paz, Bolivia to Jose Manuel Rivero and Primitiva Calderon whose family owned farming properties and a transport company. Eugenia attended the Inglés Católico School for girls in the late 1940s. After high school, Eugenia attended secretarial school and worked to help her siblings attain advanced degrees in dentistry and architecture.

Eugenia worked in La Paz in an office where, after starting up a friendship with Lucy Roncal, she met Lucy’s younger brother Guido. Eugenia and Guido married in 1953 and moved to Lima, Peru to begin their family, where Eugenia gave birth to her first son. Guido earlier studied at Simpson College in Iowa and Eugenia always supported Guido’s dream to move to the U. S. Midwest. Eugenia’s good friend, Mario Santander, having already moved to St. Louis, sponsored Guido’s immigration, and a year later Eugenia and their three sons followed.

While raising Guido, Glenn, and Roy, Eugenia became part of a core group of Bolivians who founded The Bolivian Society of St. Louis in 1965. In the 1980s, Guido and Eugenia moved to Little Flower Parish and Eugenia became a devout member of the Legion of the Carmelite West at Carmel of St. Joseph visiting the quiet Carmelite chapel weekly.

In the 1970s, Eugenia decided to go back to work and be not only a homemaker, but also a partner in financial earnings to support the growing boys. Eugenia (known to coworkers as Jean) was so dedicated to the clinical Labs at Barnes Hospital that she worked there for over 45 years, gaining even more friends and colleagues.

Eugenia was an effervescent, optimistic, caring, and supportive person with a knack for getting people to be positive because of her listening and compassionate nature. Eugenia brought out the best in people, through her engagement and interest in their lives, families, and desires. Everyone became friends with Eugenia and felt her warmth and considerate heart-felt joy. We will all miss her.

Services for Eugenia are as follows:

Memorial visitation the evening of June 30, 2019

from 4:00pm to 8:00pm and Mass on July 1, 2019 at

10:00am at Little Flower Catholic Church.

We will be praying of the Rosary at the end of the visitation

Arrangements completed by St. Louis Cremation Services and Little Flower Catholic Church. 1264 Arch Terrace, Richmond Heights, MO 63117.

In lieu of flowers or plants, donations accepted by Carmel of Saint Joseph, 9150 Clayton Rd., St. Louis, MO 63124.