Joan Aguirre

Velma Joan Frey Aguirre, 88, passed away at home surrounded by family, Saturday, January 26, 2019. A Wichita, Kansas native, she was born March 28, 1930, to Clifford Collins and Ethel Rowland Frey. On April 1, 1947, she married Conrado Aguirre. Together, they brought fine dining to Tupelo when they opened the Gaslight Inn in 1966 and Gloster 205 in 1979. In 1985, she and Conrado opened Aguirre Quality Seating and continued conducting business until his decline in health. Joan enjoyed helping and caring for others. For a number of years, she was an active volunteer with Meals on Wheels and in 2008, won the North Mississippi Medical Center Non-Professional Home Healthcare Giver of the Year award for taking exceptional care of her husband. She took great pride in her garden which was featured in the Invitation Tupelo. She was a member of St. James Catholic Church where she led the Rosary for over 20 years at the 4:30 p.m. mass and faithfully sponsored the Church Youth Organization with her husband in the early 1960s.

Survivors include two sons, Bart Aguirre and his wife, Patty of Saltillo and Philip Aguirre and his wife, Barbara of Tupelo; ten grandchildren, Sonya (Sunnie) Parmer of Tupelo, Shannon Drummond and her husband, Bill of Tupelo, Shane Aguirre of Tupelo, Joey Aguirre of Naples, Italy, Jonathan Aguirre and his wife, Kirsten of Tupelo, Quana Casseri and her husband, Adam of Gretna, Louisiana, Arian Waldrop and her husband, Brent of Tupelo, A.K. Aguirre of Saltillo, Mary- Elizabeth Bishop and her husband, Mark of Guntown and Katy Irwin and her husband, Kyle of Saltillo; 13 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; daughter, Elena Floyd; and brother, Clifford Frey.

Visitation will be from 5 until 7 p.m. January 31, 2019 at W.E. Pegues, Tupelo and will be immediately followed by a Rosary.

A Funeral Mass honoring her life will be 11 a.m. Friday, February 1, 2019 at St. James Catholic Church with Father Tim Murphy and Father Henry Shelton officiating. A committal service will follow in Tupelo Memorial Park. W.E. Pegues Funeral Directors is in charge of the arrangements.

Pallbearers will be William Drummond, Bill Drummond, Jonathan Aguirre, Brent Waldrop, Adam Casseri, Joey Aguirre, Mark Bishop and Kyle Irwin.

Honorary pallbearers will be Shane Aguirre.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sanctuary Home Hospice, PO Box 2177 Tupelo, MS 38803.

Expressions of sympathy may be left at www.peguesfuneralhome.com .