Aleida C. Arias, 89 years old, passed away Jan. 22, 2026, while hospitalized for influenza. She will always be remembered as a loving daughter and sister; an outstanding wife, mother and grandmother; and a caring aunt and friend.Â
Aleida was born in a humble and loving home in Agramonte, Matanzas, Cuba, to parents Domitila Franco and Guillermo Gonzalez. She loved her siblings, Esteban, Gonzalo, Francisco (Chito), Jose (Cheo), Guillermo (Guillo) and Regla and their families, including her nieces and nephews, dearly.
Aleida met the love of her life, AgustÃn Arias, while she was walking near her house. They started talking, and the rest is history: a five-year engagement, 63 years of marriage, a loving home, and a daughter they adored.
Aleida and her husband made the difficult decision to leave their family and belongings in Cuba and join her brother Guillermo in New Jersey in 1984 to give their daughter the opportunity to study and become a professional. Aleida began working as a seamstress and eventually specialized in sewing military caps for the American Legion and VFW until her retirement. She took great pride in her work and in helping her husband purchase their family home, all while supporting their daughter through college and pharmacy school.
She rejoiced in spending time with family, caring for her grandchild and watching her grow from a baby into a beautiful young woman. She loved calling family and friends to check on them, offering a kind word of hope, encouragement and a prayer as she was a devout Catholic.
Aleida was a talented cook and well known for her black beans, Cuban corn tamales, arroz con pollo, natilla and buñuelos. She enjoyed buying gifts for others, posting on Facebook, playing Candy Crush, and shopping at Boscov’s. She cherished visiting family in Florida, as she did last December and had a great time catching up with loved ones.
Aleida will be remembered and missed by her husband of 63 years, Agustin Arias, their daughter Sonia Schweers, son-in-law Greg Schweers and granddaughter Sofia Schweers; her niece and goddaughter Regla Quesada; her siblings-in-law, Georgina, Elva, Orlando and Irma Arias and Georgina Gonzalez; Emma Bergantiño; and many nieces and nephews in Florida and outside the United States.
Aleida was predeceased by her parents; all her siblings and spouses; her siblings-in-law Nereida (Neyi), Rene (Minite), Pedro, Jose and Pablo Arias; and her niece Lazara and nephew Francisco (Panchito) Gonzalez.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Heart Association in honor of Aleida’s memory are appreciated. Private interment took place Jan. 30 at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Thompson Memorial Home in Red Bank was entrusted with the arrangements.
The article originally appeared in the February 12 – 18, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
