| First Lady of Puerto Rico |
|
|---|---|
| Style | Mrs. Vela (in English) Licenciada Vela (in Spanish) |
| Residence | La Fortaleza |
| Website | Primera Dama |
First Lady of Puerto Rico is the title traditionally given to the spouse of the Governor of Puerto Rico. The current First Lady is Lucé Vela.
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The current first lady is Lucé Vela, wife of Luis Fortuño. At present, there are seven living former first ladies: Jeannette Ramos, wife of Roberto Sánchez Vilella; Rosario Ferré, daughter of Luis A. Ferré; Kate Donnelly, wife of Carlos Romero Barceló; Irma Margarita Neváres, wife of Pedro Rosselló; Sila María and María Elena González Calderón, daughters of Sila Calderón; and Luisa Gándara, wife of Aníbal Acevedo Vilá.
The position of First Lady carries no official duty and receives no compensation for their service. They generally oversee the administration of La Fortaleza, the mansion that serves as the Governor's residence and Office. They also organize events and civic programs, and typically get involved in different charities and social causes.
The official portraits of each First Lady, beginning with Jesús T. Piñero's wife, are exhibited in La Fortaleza since Rafael Hernández Colón's administration. They are located in the staircase that leads to the third floor private gubernatorial residence. Current First Lady Lucé Vela had the portraits loaned to the Puerto Rico Department of State, to be seen by the public during two weeks in May 2009. The opening reception of the exhibit, presided by Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock, was attended by three governors (Luis Fortuño, Hernández Colón, and Carlos Romero Barceló), and four first ladies (Jeannette Ramos, Kate Donnelly, María Elena González, and Lucé Vela).
| First Lady | Date of birth | Date of marriage | Governor (Husband) |
Date tenure began | Date tenure ended | Length of retirement |
Date of death (age) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurelia Bou Ledesma | 1931[1] | Jesús T. Piñero | January 2, 1946 | January 1, 1949 | |||||
| 1 | Inés Mendoza | January 10, 1908 | November 16, 1946 | Luis Muñoz Marín | January 2, 1949 | January 1, 1965 | 25 years, 224 days | August 13, 1990 (82 years, 215 days) | |
| 2 | Conchita Dapena | 1913 | July 10, 1936[2] | Roberto Sánchez Vilella | January 2, 1965 | January 1, 1966 | 37 years, 55 days | February 25, 2003[3] | |
| 3 | Jeannette Ramos | 1967 | Roberto Sánchez Vilella | 1967 | January 1, 1969 | 43 years, 64 days | Living | ||
| 4 | Lorenza Ramírez de Arellano | May 30, 1931 | Luis A. Ferré | January 2, 1969 | 1970 | 1970 | |||
| 5 | Rosario Ferré | September 28, 1938 | N/A | Luis A. Ferré (father) |
1970 | January 1, 1972 | 40 years, 64 days | Living (73 years, 159 days) | |
| 6 | Lila Mayoral Wirshing | May 12, 1942 | October 24, 1959 | Rafael Hernández Colón | January 2, 1972 | January 1, 1977 | N/A | July 1, 2003 (61 years, 50 days) | |
| 7 | Kate Donnelly | Carlos Romero Barceló | January 2, 1977 | January 1, 1985 | 27 years, 64 days | Living | |||
| 8 | Lila Mayoral Wirshing | May 12, 1942 | October 24, 1959 | Rafael Hernández Colón | January 2, 1985 | January 1, 1993 | 10 years, 181 days | July 1, 2003 (61 years, 50 days) | |
| 9 | Irma Margarita Neváres | August 9, 1969 | Pedro Rosselló | January 2, 1993 | January 1, 2001 | 11 years, 64 days | Living | ||
| 10 | Sila María González Calderón and María Elena González Calderón |
N/A | Sila Calderón (mother) |
January 2, 2001 | January 1, 2005 | 7 years, 64 days | Living | ||
| 11 | Luisa Gándara | Aníbal Acevedo Vilá | January 2, 2005 | January 1, 2009 | 3 years, 64 days | Living | |||
| 12 | Lucé Vela | 1961 (age 50–51) | Luis Fortuño | January 2, 2009 | Incumbent | Incumbent | Living | ||