Juana Gamero de Coca, 57, of Middlebury, died peacefully in her sleep on October 6. She was Associate Professor of Spanish at Middlebury College, where she had been on the faculty since 2004. She was the daughter of German Gamero de Ua and Maria del Carmen de Coca Alonso, both deceased, of Alburquerque (Badajoz), Spain. Juana grew up in Alburquerque, in the Extremadura region of Spain, where her father raised the pigs that produce the regions world-famous hams, their flavor imparted by the acorns of the oak trees (quercus) that give Alburquerque its name. As a child and teenager, Juana attended school in Valladolid (Castilla y Len), the home of her mothers family. Later, she was a student of psychology at the Universidad Autnoma de Madrid. A young woman living in Spains capital city during the late 1970s and early 1980s, she experienced first-hand that period of intense and liberating change for her country. It affected her deeply. In 1985, Juana traveled to Washington, DC, to work, and decided to stay in the United States. She started a family in this country and began a new career as an academic. Completing her BA at the University of Pittsburgh, her MA at New Mexico State University, and her PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she accepted in 2004 a faculty position in Spanish at Middlebury College, where she later also served as Director of European Studies. Her research interests included 20th and 21st Century Spanish Literature and Culture, with a focus on gender. She published, in addition to many articles, three books: Nacin y gnero en la invencin de Extremadura: Soando fronteras de cielo y barro(Mirabel, 2005), La mirada monstruosa de la memoria (Libertarias, 2009), and Sexualidad, violencia y cultura (Desde Abajo, 2013). With her distinctive fashion sense and effusive Mediterranean personality, Juana stood out among native Vermonters; but she found a home in Middlebury and was beloved by her students, colleagues, neighbors, and friends here. She was especially proud of her daughters Carmen Maria Fleming and Ana Isabel Fleming, both graduates of Middlebury College (2010 and 2017, respectively) and now residents of New York City. She remained close to her former husband David Fleming of Northampton, MA. She is survived as well by her aunt Dioni Velasco Alonso, her siblings Francisca Gamero de Coca, German Gamero de Coca, and Maria del Carmen Gamero de Coca, and their spouses. Even from far away, Juana had a special bond with her many nephews and nieces in Spain. The Fleming family of Raleigh, NC, also mourn her deeply. She left her mark wherever she went. Juanas partner Ricardo Chvez Castaeda of Mexico City, an author and Spanish instructor at Middlebury College, provides these words in her honor: Juana naci en un pueblo construido en las laderas de una montaa -Alburquerque- en cuya cima haba castillo y murallas. Ella no necesito de ningn cuento para ser la guerrera que combata los dragones de la injusticia, para convertirse en el hada ante cuyos poderes mgicos el mundo cambiaba, la reina madre que cri a otras dos mujeres dignas de un reino. Ella sola se bast para hacer de su vida una historia fantstica. Y nosotros, quienes tuvimos la suerte de conocerla, formamos parte de alguno de los captulos fabulosos de su existencia. Hoy el bello cuento se termina y de pronto nos encontramos en la aridez y delacin del mundo real, y sin embargo nos tenemos a nosotros mismos para contarnos y recontarnos la historia de la mujer que fue guerrera hada reina diosa. A Memorial Service to celebrate Juana will be held at Mead Chapel, on the campus of Middlebury College, on Saturday, October 14, at 2:00 pm. All are welcome to attend and encouraged to bring brightly-colored flowers to help decorate the Chapel. SERVICES Memorial Service Saturday, October 14, 2017 2:00 PM Mead Chapel Middlebury, VT 05753