- Date Of Death: September 6, 2011
- State: Connecticut
Angela Pilar Van Acker
– age: 85
(June 13, 1926 to September 06, 2011 )
Resident of Norwalk, Connecticut
Angela Pilar Van Acker passed away at her home surrounded by her family on September 6, 2011. Angela was born on June 13, 1926 in New York City to Angela Mata Bascoy and Jose Rubin de Celis. Angela’s father was a well-known photographer and restorer of fine art. On one occasion he was restoring a painting for Governor Leahman of New York. Since it was after business hours, the delivery boy was unavailable.
The family purchased a small farm in Clinton, Connecticut and moved there full time in 1941. For several years, Angela and her mother ran the farm while her father worked in the city and joined them on weekends. Eventually, Jose was able to move his gallery to Clinton. Angela attended and graduated with honors from Morgan High School in 1944. She was awarded the DAR Scholarship and attended Larson Junior College (Quinnipiac) before transferring to Connecticut College for Women; she graduated Cum Laude from Connecticut College in 1948 with a degree in Spanish Literature.
Angela met her future husband, Albert Van Acker, on a blind date weeks before her scheduled graduation. Albert (Van) had returned from WWII after serving in the Pacific Ocean submarine fleet and was stationed in Groton, CT. Van was completely smitten with Angela and asked him to consider being his wife. She often said that she did not take his request seriously, but Van persisted and asked to see her again. On September18, 1948 they married.
In 1969, with two children in college and her youngest entering first grade, Angela decided she needed another challenge and went back to school to earn her Master’s in Education from Fairfield University. Angela quickly found employment and worked briefly at Central Catholic High School. But she found her dream job as a Spanish teacher at Greens Farms Academy in 1979; Angela was a natural teacher. Angela took great pride in her Spanish heritage and teaching was a wonderful way to share her love with a new generation. Angela had great fun verbally sparring with the faculty and staff, especially with her good friend, Headmaster Jim Coyle.
Angela was a member of St.
