Surrounded by an intimate group of family and friends praying together at her bedside, Virginia Cuarenta Sanchez died peacefully at her home in Carson, California on June 3, 2019. She is survived by her daughters, Myra Jane S. Collado, Luzviminda S. Jariwala, and Ligaya S. Chan; her sons-in-law, Michael M. Collado, E. Manher Q. Jariwala, and Darren B. Chan; and her grandchildren, Cailey Anne S. Collado, Rizal S. Collado, Kaya Michaela S. Collado, Enrique Bonifacio S. Jariwala, Keira Rose S. Chan, and Dylan Bing S. Chan. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bonifacio Gabuya Sanchez, and her mother, Zosima Piamonte Cuarenta.

“Virgie” was born in Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines on July 15, 1940. Growing up of modest means primarily in the city of Davao and on a coconut farm in nearby Panabo, Virgie learned the value of work at an early age, performing various odd jobs to earn enough for her first pair of shoes at age 10, a prized possession she remembered fondly. Envisioning a life beyond her situational constraints, Virgie pursued education, made possible by support from extended family and community members. Trailblazing the path for others after her, she became the first of her generation to pursue opportunities outside the Philippines, migrating to the USA in 1963.

A nurse for more than 4 decades, Virgie dedicated her life to service for others. In addition to raising three children and nurturing a marriage for over 30 years, she supported extended family in the Philippines, boldly pursued various entrepreneurial interests, and actively engaged in her faith community and civic life. Outside the family, her proudest moments were in founding the Filipino Community of Carson and witnessing once impossible dreams become reality as Filipinos move to the core of business, civic, and cultural life in Carson.

Virgie will perhaps be remembered most by her charming smile, her boisterous laugh, her ability to drive people to action, and the love she shared that extended her familial reach beyond the ties of birth. Purposeful in life as well as in dying, Virgie was glad to serve as a conduit to relationships renewed and connections created during her last days. This is testament to her greatest strength - cultivating bonds of love and belonging that strengthen families and build communities.

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