Rosario Centeno Darrah

Darrah, Rosario Centeno “Charito or Charrie” of Flint, age 82 died March 14, 2015 in Cape Coral, FL. Visitation will be held at Brown Funeral Home at 1480 Hill Rd, Grand Blanc on Sat, Mar. 21, 2p-8p and Sun, Mar. 22, 2-8p with a Rosary at 7pm. Funeral services begin at 10am Mon, Mar. 23 at St. Mary’s, 2500 N Franklin, Flint with Mass at 11am, Fr. Sathiyagu Arockiyasamy celebrant. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Amer Cancer Soc, Amer Heart Assoc, Foundation for Mott Comm College, and St. Mary’s Flint. Mrs. Darrah was born in the Philippines, the daughter of Judge Isaac Centeno, Sr. and Asuncion Aquino. She came to the US under the Fulbright Scholarship to pursue her postgraduate studies in nursing. She earned her BSN degree at Univ of the Philippines and her MA in Nursing at Univ of Chicago. She was Prof. Emeritus from Mott Comm College where she taught for 32½ years retiring Dec '94. She taught various nursing and allied health courses in the Assoc Degree, Practical Nursing and Paramedic programs. In the Philippines, Mrs. Darrah taught Obstetrical Nursing, her expertise, at the Far Eastern Univ of Manila, and at Oak Park School of Nursing in IL. She also held staff nursing positions at Cook Cnty Hosp, Chicago Lying-in Hosp and in Manila. Mrs. Darrah was a member of the MEA and NEA. She was an active member of Gamma Beta Chapter, a local branch of Delta Kappa Gamma Int’l; the Amer Assoc of Univ Women – AAUW and was its Asst Treasurer in the 90’s; and a past member of Toastmasters Int’l. She was a member of the Int’l Institute of Flint and a past board member. Mrs. Darrah was a member of St. Mary’s – Flint and sang in the choir with her husband & children. Mrs. Darrah was elected Pres. of the Pilipino Amer Assoc of Greater Flint – PAAGF and was the first lady Pres. in ‘82. In 2009, she coauthored a home health caregiver textbook published in the Philippines. She was active in the community and served as a volunteered at Holy Family, Grand Blanc. She was preceded in death by her husband, George R Darrah, a lawyer and Flint native, whom she met at the Univ of Chicago. They have three daughters, three grandchildren and one great grandchild. She leaves behind Kathleen Darrah and daughter Katie of Falls Church, VA; Adelfa Dowling (Clay) and their children Michael (stationed at Ft. Bliss) and Elena Wharton of Dexter, MI; Margaret “Peggy” Darrah of Plymouth, MI; great granddaughter, Raegan M Thomas and her mother Chatoria “Tori” Thomas of Flint; Benjamina McManaman of Swartz Creek; sister-in-law Adoracion Centeno of Philippines; brother Dr. Carolino Centeno (Cenciefina) of Ft. Myers, FL; many nieces & nephews, grandnieces & grandnephews.

Condolences may be left on-line at www.brownfh.com