Josephine Bugarin

Josephine Bugarin was a Native New Yorker with a West Texas spirit.

Josie was born in Brooklyn, New York, December 1, 1944. She had a challenging early life which fostered her resilient spirit and unshakable grit. She spent a brief stint at an orphanage with her older brother Eduardo, while her merchant marine father worked around the globe. Josie also apprenticed with a tailor and garment designer in her teens, which developed her love of sewing, textiles and crafting. She helped raise her much younger siblings, Iris and Ernest, before deciding to start a family of her own.

From January 1963 to 1976, she was married to Steve Eleftheriades. They had a son, Michael. Josephine and Steve ran several restaurants together, including one in El Paso, one in Tyler, Texas, and one at the Abilene Regional Airport. Josie spent time traveling throughout Europe, where she met Baram Neumann in 1979. They moved back to the U.S. and settled in Taylor County for a period, before moving to the east coast. They had two children, Alan and Perri, before parting in 1981. She remained in the tri-state area for a few years, before meeting Arturo Bugarin. They were married from 1988 to 2012.

Throughout her life, Josie held a deep love of the old west. Her dream was to own a ranch in West Texas, get up with the roosters, and tend to her animals and her garden. She moved to Tuscola in 1994 and lived out her dream for more than 20 years, before moving to Abilene to be closer to family.

Josie made friends everywhere she went. Whether she met you at church, on a cruise ship, or at an estate sale, if she took a liking to you, you knew. She was a hard worker and held a number of positions over the years, including owning a cafe, a gift shop, and a housekeeping business, in addition to working in elder care and real estate. Even after retirement, Josie kept busy. She volunteered for Foster Grandparents, a federal program where senior adults mentor children and teens who needed extra care. She volunteered there for the last five years. She especially loved working with the babies and infants, and would often rock them and read to them.

Josie firmly believed that "it takes a village" and was a staple at Elm Valley Community Church. She also donated much of her time assisting new citizens and immigrants acclimate to life in the Big Country. Josie had no problem speaking her mind, but she was generous and giving, following Jesus' teachings about welcoming, protecting, and loving immigrants, foreigners, and strangers. Friends say Josie had a great zest for life. She traveled the world well into her 80's and refused to let age be a factor. When Josie set her mind to anything, you could be certain she would accomplish it.

Josephine was preceded in death by her parents, Jose Felix Rodriguez and Virginia Quiñones, her brother, Eddie Rodriguez, and her sister, Iris Saltares. She leaves behind her youngest brother Ernest Rodriguez Naaz; her sister Carmen Rosario; her son Michael, daughter-in-law Maria, and grandsons Nicolas Eleftheriades and Alexander Eleftherides; her daughter, Perri Collins; and her son, Alan Bugarin, along with grandchildren Jasmine Rae Bugarin and Christopher Alan Bugarin.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Hendrick Hospice Care in Abilene, who cared for Josie with extraordinary kindness in her final weeks.