Bella Luistro Pizarro

Bella Luistro Pizarro, a resident of Gresham, Oregon, died on August 12, 2020 in Clackamas. She was 81 years of age.

The daughter of Porfirio and Esperanza (Ortin) Luistro, Bella was born on June 22, 1939 and raised in Masinloc, Zambales, Philippines. She attended and trained to play classical piano at the Holy Spirit Conservatory of Music in Manila. At 17, Bella was crowned Miss Zambales and represented her province in a meeting with the then Philippine president, Ramon Magsaysay.

Bella married Dr. Renato Pizarro on September 25, 1960 in Manila, Philippines. They were married for 49 years. She lost her husband ten years ago, four months before their 50th wedding anniversary. They are survived by their three children, Charisse (husband Bob) Osilla and granddaughter, Jade Osilla of Portland, sons, Jet (wife Ireen) Pizarro of Portland and Eric Pizarro of Santa Clara, CA, and her brothers, Tony Luistro of Henderson, NV, and Jing Luistro of Irvine, CA. Her parents preceded her in death.

Bella’s family and friends describe her as strong, sweet, loyal, determined and generous. Her beautiful smile and grace lit up the whole room. Taking care of her family was her main focus. She enjoyed cooking, entertaining guests and playing mahjong and slot machines, but her passion was volunteering in her church and community in the Philippines and the US. In the Philippines, Bella and her husband were active in church and community activities. They helped build churches in villages and developed mobile clinics targeting the underserved people. In the US, she was a lifetime member of the Filipino American Association of Portland and an active member of St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Gresham, OR.

A funeral mass will be held on Friday, August 21 at 11:00 am at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Gresham. Visitation will be on Thursday, August 20 from 1 pm-5:30 pm, followed by a Rosary at 6 pm at the Bateman Carroll Funeral Home.