Jersey City is grieving from the sudden loss of Veronica Barbosa, a vibrant 38-year-old mother and community cornerstone who passed away on December 2, 2025, after a sudden cardiac arrest at her home in the Greenville section. First responders arrived within minutes of the 911 call, but despite aggressive resuscitation efforts, she could not be revived.
Veronica, a lifelong resident of Hudson County, graduated from Snyder High School in 2005 and earned her associate’s degree in early childhood education from Hudson County Community College. For the past 12 years she worked as a lead preschool teacher at Little Scholars Academy on Old Bergen Road, where her classroom was legendary for its warmth, colorful murals, and the way she made every child feel seen and loved.
She was a devoted wife to her husband Miguel of 15 years and a devoted mother to their three children (ages 14, 11, and 7), coaching the girls’ soccer team at Lincoln Park and organizing weekend playdates that turned the family’s small backyard into the neighborhood gathering spot. Sundays meant Mass at Our Lady of Mercy Church followed by brunch at VIP Diner with extended family.
Veronica’s infectious energy showed in everything she did: volunteering at the Jersey City Food Pantry, decorating the block for Three Kings Day, and hosting summer movie nights on a bedsheet screen in the alley. Friends say her laugh could cut through any room and that she was the first to drop off groceries or watch someone’s kids in a crisis.
In her limited free time, Veronica loved dancing merengue at family parties, collecting vintage Pyrex dishes, and planning annual beach days at Sandy Hook with her sisters and cousins. Her phone was filled with photos of her children and voice notes reminding loved ones to “take care of yourselves.”
As the Barbosa family faces overwhelming grief and unexpected funeral expenses, neighbors and colleagues have rallied with meal trains and a GoFundMe that has quickly surpassed its goal. Jersey City mourns a woman who spent 38 years making the world softer and brighter for everyone lucky enough to know her.