Obituary for Sondra Jean Duarte

Sondra Jean (Frakes) Duarte, 68, of Cedar Rapids, lost her long battle with Parkinson’s disease on Tuesday, July 20, 2004, while at her home, Living Center East. A Memorial Service will be held10:00 A.M. Thursday at Christ Episcopal Church. The Rev. William Pugliese will officiate. Sondra was born January 4, 1936 in Des Moines to Melvin and Elsie Latta Frakes, and moved to Kenwood Park in Cedar Rapids. She graduated from Franklin High School in 1953. On May 2, 1953 Sondra married Ron Duarte in Dubuque. She was a homemaker, and part time student attending the University of Iowa, and Mt. Mercy College, graduating with a major in English and a minor in Spanish in 1971. She served as Director of Christian Education at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church from 1975 to 1977. She taught Spanish for 4 years at North Linn, and worked as a substitute teacher for the Cedar Rapids Schools for 10 years. In 1998 she retired from Living Center East for health reasons. Sondra loved music, books and reading, and took great pleasure in being involved in any related activity. She was a member of Peoples Universal Unitarian Church, where she found sustenance in the stimulating environment that she craved throughout her life. Sondra is survived by her children, Keith (Rose) Duarte and Quentin Duarte all of Cedar Rapids, Rhonda Duarte of Bangor, Maine, Luanne (Kevin) Vlk of Hiawatha, and Diane Duarte of Cedar Rapids; her sister, Zada Yaryan of Visalia, CA; and her former husband, Ron Duarte of Cedar Rapids. She leaves three grandchildren, Alissa (Rob) Klein, Nicole Thorn and Andrea Vlk; and a great grandson, Demetrius Duarte. In lieu of flowers, Sondra requested that memorials be made to the Cedar Rapids Womens Center. Arrangements by the Cremation Society of Eastern Iowa.