Nuria Fulgencio

Wasilla resident Nuria Fulgencio, 74, died Feb. 16, 2011, in Anchorage of complications from an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Nuria was born March 3, 1936, in Havana, Cuba. Her fond childhood memories included many horseback rides with a young Fidel Castro.

Her family moved to the Yucatan in Mexico, to Europe (where she attended school in Spain) and later to Panama, where she was Miss Panama in 1953. Nuria married John Pistro in 1954. They moved to Colorado Springs later that year. There, she gave birth to Diana, Butch and Mitchell.

In 1960, they moved to Los Angeles, where she married James Troiano. Their daughter, Patty, was born in 1963. Nuria moved to Alaska in 1967, living in Emmonak for a year before relocating to Anchorage and working at Peggy’s Café, Peanut Farm, Anchorage General Hospital, an at-risk teenage girls’ home, RSVP, McLaughlin Youth Center and at the city Community Work Service program, where she met the love of her life, Fred Fulgencio.

They married in 1986. Nuria retired in 1989 and became a well-known artist, specializing in oil painting. She also enjoyed her Hispanic culture, the Coptic Fellowship, spiritualism and road trips to Anchor Point. She was also active in dog and cat rescue missions in Anchorage and Wasilla.

Preceding her in death was her husband, John Pistro and son, Butch Pistro.

She is survived by her loving husband of 24 years, Fred Fulgencio; daughters, Diana Pistro-Cole and Patty Houck of Kodiak; sons, Mitchell Pistro of Wasilla and Craig Hanson of Palmer; sons-in-law, Steve Cole, Jim Houck and Raleigh Eager of Kodiak; grandchildren, Nicole Vosgien, Lennon Cole and Joey Houck of Kodiak, and Michael and James Pistro of Wasilla. She is survived by relatives in Miami, Panama, and Cuba, and by soul sisters, Edmona Sanders and Lynn Freeman.

A Coptic Fellowship Service and family Celebration of Life is March 6 at 1 p.m. at the Russian Jack Greenhouse on DeBarr and Boniface, where Nuria and Fred married. Potluck to follow. The family welcomes comments on Fred’s Facebook or Legacy.com.

Arrangements by Cremation Society of Alaska.