Graciela Lopez Trent

Graciela “Grace” Trent of Jackson Heights, entered into eternal rest on January 19, 2026 at Elmhurst Hospital at the age of 90.

Graciela (known as Chela to her family) was born on August 11th, 1935 to Carmen Moran and Tiburcio Lopez in Guayaquil, Ecuador. She was one of seven children and grew up amongst aunts, uncles, and cousins. 

Graciela traveled and moved to New York City in the late 60s/early 70s, becoming a United States citizen in 1972. She worked hard to help her family back in Ecuador and made it possible for many of her loved ones to also start a life in the United States. She met Arthur “Artie” Trent in 1979, and they were married on May 7th, 1988. They raised two daughters, Diana and Karina, and two Pomeranians, Mayflower and Benjamin. 

Grace loved her neighborhood of Jackson Heights and became friends with neighbors over the decades. Artie nicknamed her the “Mayor of Jackson Heights” because she couldn’t go down the street without starting conversations with people she knew. She babysat local children and would take them to school and the park every day. Her local parish was St. Joan of Arc, where she spent many mornings praying. Jackson Heights was truly her home.

A woman of many talents, Grace was skilled at sewing. She spent countless hours at her sewing machine, making clothes for herself, family and friends. She also loved to knit and would spend every Tuesday at the Salvation Army learning from the community. She took a couple of cake decorating courses and would make beautiful cakes for every occasion. Making things for people was one of the ways she showed her love for others. 

Grace enjoyed traveling throughout her life and did tours in Europe with friends when she was single. Once she met Artie, they spent a lot of time traveling throughout the United States. They were able to see at least 30 states, visiting places such as Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Mount St. Helen, and Mount Rushmore. They would frequently go outlet shopping in Pennsylvania, casino hopping in Las Vegas, and spent a good amount of time in South Carolina. One summer, they went on a family road trip all the way from New York to South Dakota and back. 

Graciela is preceded in death by her parents, siblings Mercedes, Telmo, Lidia, Rosa, Olga, and Humberto. She is also reunited with dogs Mayflower and Benjamin who crossed the rainbow bridge years ago. Graciela is survived by her beloved husband Artie, daughters Diana (Matthew) and Karina (Richard), adorable dog Croissant, many nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends who will always remember her.

Visitation will be held from 3pm to 8pm on Friday, January 30th at Gerard J. Neufeld Inc. located at 88-04 43rd Ave, Elmhurst, NY 11373. A funeral mass will be held at 9:45am on Saturday, January 31st at St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Church, located at 82-00 35th Ave, Jackson Heights, NY 11372. Private cremation to follow.

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