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On her 110th birthday in July 2026. (Source: Philippine Embassy in Washington DC, USA)

Supercentenarian Profile

Evangeline Paredes

Born:

1916-07-25

Brooklyn, New York City, New York

United States

Current Residence:

Washington, D.C.

United States

Evangeline “Vangie” Paredes (née Abellera) is an American supercentenarian.

BIOGRAPHY

Evangeline Paredes was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, on 25 July 1915 (claimed 26 July). She was the third oldest of eight children born to Tomas Rulloda Abellera and Francisca Estrada. Her father left the Philippines to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War I, while her mother, a native of Asturias, Spain, worked as a translator on Wall Street in New York City. In 1921, the family relocated to Washington, D.C., after Tomas was appointed chief master mechanic at the Washington Navy Yard.

After attending Congress Heights School and Eastern High School, Vangie earned a scholarship to a secretarial school and began working as a telephone operator in the office of the Resident Commissioner of the Philippines. In the early 1930s, she attended George Washington University, where she studied interior decorating. Upon graduating, she was promoted to executive secretary to the Resident Commissioner.

In 1941, she married Juanito Paredes, and the couple made their home on Chesapeake Street in southeast Washington, D.C. Juanito was the nephew of Quentin B. Paredes (1884–1973), who served as the Philippine Resident Commissioner in Washington, D.C., beginning in 1935.

During World War II, Vangie served as secretary to President Manuel L. Quezon. Following Philippine independence, she became the public relations officer for the Philippine Embassy. She worked for the Philippine government from 1936 to 1957 before joining the U.S. Department of Defense. There, her exceptional stenographic skills earned the respect of senior Pentagon officials. After a distinguished 30-year career, she retired with the highest civilian honor awarded to federal employees.

Vangie’s sister, Dolores Lillian Abellera, married Nolasco Icarangal in 1949.

After retiring in her 70s, Vangie remained deeply committed to public service, continuing to volunteer well into her early 90s. For her, retirement marked the beginning of a new chapter of service. She became actively involved in the Filipino American community, advocating against racial injustice, visiting veterans in hospitals, supporting their families, and contributing her time and experience to organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Auxiliary, the AARP Capitol Hill Strike Force, and the Senior Medicare Patrol. In recognition of her decades of volunteer service and community leadership, AARP honored Vangie with the Andrus Award in 2010.