Aida Cecilia Forjan Boade

Aida Cecilia Forjan Boade 

June 15, 1929 - January 29, 2025

Youngest of six children born to Jose and Emilia Forjan of La Habana, Cuba, Aida lived up to the childhood name, "Nenita," given her by her loving parents. Nenita was a devoted and always caring sister to Andrés, Carmen, Ofelia, Miguel, and Jesús, all of whom pre-deceased her. She was Aunt Aida to her nieces, grand nieces, nephews and grand nephews, Maria Johnson ("Carmita") and her husband, Tom, Jose ("Pepito"), Jose Ignacio ("Ignacito"), Tomas ("Tommy"), Rudy, Alex, Andy, Allison, Thomas Christopher, Nina, and great grand nieces, Josie and Lila, all of whom she loved and they loved her dearly and will miss her and her cheerful voice and seemingly never-ending stream of pop-up musical greeting cards. For twenty-six happy years she mothered and coddled her dearest Jimmy, luckiest cat in the world.

Aida was a naturally gifted artist. She was educated at La Escuela del Hogar in Havana, Cuba, where she learned to do fine needlepoint and embroidery. While in Cuba, she worked in a shop specializing in fine embroideries. As long as her vision permitted, she loved to design and sew her own dresses and precious hand-stitched baptism gowns for her nieces and nephews.

Aida was a music lover. She especially enjoyed operas and operettas, musicals, particularly My Fair Lady, The King and I, and The Sound of Music, the Three Tenors, and Andrea Bocelli concerts. She was known to break out into one of her favorite songs at any time.

In 1962, Aida left Cuba and came to New York to live with her beloved Papá and her equally beloved siblings. She worked at Woolworth's and later in the document processing and accounting department of CitiBank where she excelled and did not miss a day of work in over thirty years. She was fiercely proud of her acquired American citizenship.

In 2019, at the age of 90, Aida once again relocated, this time to Charleston, South Carolina. She made many new friends in Charleston. She cherished them and they cared for and pampered her in exemplary Charlestonian manner. They include neighbors Joe and Wanda Spiotta, who lived a few doors from her and would frequently take time to look in on her and bring her gifts and treats; Joe Nickerson, who took great pains to keep her apartment cozy and comfortable; her devoted and patient caretakers Kristina Rumola, Claudia Rush, Kathern Streyffeler, Joann Howard, and Earsilee Nesbitt, who worked tirelessly to keep her healthy and happy; her doctors at South Carolina House Call; her caring nurse Kelly Swanson; her physical therapist, Ed Long, and many others.

After a long and interesting life, our dearest Aunt Aida passed away peacefully at home in Mt. Pleasant on January 29, 2025. 

In her memory in lieu of flowers feel free to do something kind for a loved one, phone a childhood friend, send a greeting card to someone, or just sing or hum a song or an aria.

Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at mcalister-smith.com.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to McAlister-Smith Funeral and Cremation, 1520 Rifle Range Road, Charleston, SC 29464, (843) 884-3833.