Deborah Aguiar-Vélez
Deborah Aguiar-Velez, 60, of Matthews, North Carolina, passed away Wednesday morning, October 19, 2016.
She was born on December 18, 1955, to the late Marcus Aguiar Roman and Margarita Diaz Bonilla. Though born in New York City, she was raised in Puerto Rico, La Isla del Encanto that she always called home and went back to often.
She lives on through her husband, German Velez; their daughters, Raquel Velez and Cristina Velez-Justo; their sons-in-law, Max Wallace and José Justo; and her siblings, Noemi Aguiar and Manuel Aguiar.
Deborah earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering with honors from the University of Puerto Rico in 1976. In 1983, she started Sistemas Corporation, which provided customized software and training for Fortune 50 companies in a variety of industries.
An accomplished engineer and businesswoman, she is nationally recognized for her innovative leadership in the areas of entrepreneurship, technical development of support systems, and for her public service. From 1988 to 1990, she directed the Division of Small Business and Women and Minority Business for the New Jersey Department of Commerce and Economic Development.
She has served as Director at both the Charlotte Branch at Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance Company, Inc., and has served on the boards of The Franklin Institute of Philadelphia, and CoreStates New Jersey National Bank. She has been honored by Hispanic Magazine; the National Council of Christians and Jews; and Minorities and Women in Business magazine.
She also spent over 30 years working as an adjunct instructor at a number of colleges and universities, and was a frequent guest speaker at academic institutions including Princeton University, Smith College, Penn State, and Harvard University.
Deborah was an unstoppable force in the world, making her mark nationwide as an entrepreneur, technologist, and community leader. Her inspirational speeches gave people hope; her mentorship and dedication lent people direction; and her faith provided her strength.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to one of the following organizations:
The Girl Scouts of North Carolina: GSHNC, Girl Scouts, Hornets’ Nest Council Advancement, 7007 Idlewild Rd, Charlotte, NC 28212
The Latin American Women’s Association: LAWA, P.O. Box 78150, Charlotte, NC 28271
A Child’s Place: http://www.achildsplace.org/invest/financial/
For GSHNC and LAWA, a scholarship will be made in Deborah’s honor; please mention her name on the memo line of your check.
