A heartbreaking loss. Alexia Echevarria‘s mother died on Wednesday, August 25, the same day the former Real Housewives of Miami star was set to get married.
“Early this morning I lost my mom to the horrible and deadly COVID-19. The last couple of days have been a rollercoaster of emotions for me. I was on the road to marry the man of my dreams when I had to stop everything as my mother became ill,” Echevarria, 54, wrote via a lengthy Instagram post on Wednesday. “What was supposed to be the happiest day of my life today has turned out to be the saddest.”
The magazine editor, who appeared on all three seasons of Real Housewives of Miami from 2011 to 2013, went on to gush over her late mother, Nancy, who she referred to as “a woman of strength and beauty” who always “lived her life her way.”
“My best friend, my psychiatrist but above all, she was my mother. My mother was the kind of woman that was respected, admired, inspirational and so ahead of her times. She was a trailblazer in so many aspects of life,” she wrote. “A political refugee from Cuba, who put herself through medical school in the 1960s. Raised three children on her own with the help of my grandmother. A feminist and liberal with her social views. She always had an educated opinion. Her thoughts and views were so particular and unique. The crazy thing was she was always right!!”
The Canada native also noted the many lessons she took from her mother.
“She showed me to live unapologetically, never look back, and don’t regret the things you’ve done but the things you haven’t,” the businesswoman added. “I will always cherish your stories, your wisdom, your strength, and your zest for life. I’ll always admire your love for connecting with people and I will always share the love for your second homeland, Spain. To say I will miss you does no justice for what I feel, no amount of tears can express the pain I feel in losing you but then again thank you for the honor of sharing a lifetime with me. Rest In Peace Mami. I know you’re in a better place dancing and drinking champagne. Please watch over us, as I need all the help from up above. I now have another angel. Until we meet again.”
The former reality star shares two sons with ex-husband Pedro Rosello. She announced her engagement to Todd Nepola in December 2019. In May 2020, she revealed they had decided to postpone their wedding until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“There’s more important things to focus on now and to worry about, so we decided that we would probably get married in the beginning of the year. I want it to be a religious wedding because I never was able to marry in the past religiously, and for me, that’s very important,” she told the Daily Dish at the time. “We’re still trying to figure out if we want it here [or] if we want a destination wedding, so those are things that we’re still working out. But meanwhile, we’re really enjoying each other. He’s an amazing man and I’m very happy.”
