Evangeline “Vangie” Renee Gurak, business owner, world traveler and generous soul passed away on Tuesday, July 9th at her home in Windham, NH.
Vangie was born in Salt Lake City, UT. She graduated from Lynn Classical High School and Fisher College in Boston, MA. Upon graduation she worked for the State Department moving her to Seoul, Korea where she met and later married her soul mate. After returning to the US, she and Deniz made Windham their home after some years on Beacon Hill in Boston. Windham was fond to her, for her childhood summers were spent there on Cobbetts Pond.
She yearned to see the world and worked for Olympic Airlines in Boston before founding Angora Travel Inc. in 1975. Vangie enjoyed running her agency. Her bags were always packed. She was always ready to experience something new and create memories.
Vangie lived for today. She loved to gamble. Above all, she enjoyed spending time with family. She made friends feel like family and strangers feel like friends. She loved. She was loved. She will be missed.
Vangie is survived by her husband of 45 years Deniz Gurak of Windham, daughter Lexie Gonzalez and son-in-law Tomas of Windham, two grandchildren Trey and Max of Windham, brother Paul Mavris and partner Dan Beale of Portland, ME, brother Peter Mavris and wife Nan Gurley of Keezer Falls, ME and niece Renay Smallcomb of Wakefield, MA.
She is predeceased by her parents, Christy and Mercy (Maroskos) Mavris, sister Chris Smallcomb and nephew Aaron Smallcomb.
Visiting hours will be held on Friday July 12th from 5:00-8:00 PM at Douglas & Johnson Funeral Home, 214 Main Street, Salem, NH. There will be a private burial at Cemetery on the Plain in Windham, NH.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to her grandson’s Jimmy Fund Little League Team (Trey Gonzalez- Windham 10U Gray) to help support Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s fight against cancer. Donations can be made online at www.jimmyfund.org/eve/event/little-league