Concepcion Villareal Faron

Concepcion V. Faron, doting sister, proud aunt and cherished friend, passed away peacefully on January 10, 2023 at the age of 88, leaving a family legacy in Canada that began with her arrival as a young nurse more than five decades earlier.

Concepcion was born to Narcisa and Gavino Faron in 1934 in the town of Tanauan, province of Leyte, Philippines. She was the middle of 12 children. Shortly after the Second World War, Concepcion moved with her family to the city of San Juan in Metro Manila. She completed high school and pursued higher education at the San Juan de Dios School of Nursing. Upon graduating with her nursing diploma in 1959, Concepcion worked at the Hospital de San Juan de Dios. She then served as an industrial nurse for Philippine National Railways for several years until she was presented with an opportunity to take part in a work exchange in the United States. Having always dreamed of traveling, a young and independent Concepcion made the bold move to Rochester, Minnesota [where she worked at the Mayo Clinic Hospital, then known as St. Mary’s Hospital]. There, she met other Filipina nurses in the exchange program and soon cultivated friendships that would last a lifetime. The young women worked hard but also made time to immerse themselves in the American culture and landscape. Concepcion often recounted adventurous road trips with her colleagues as they explored nearby cities and states. One such road trip took Concepcion and her friends to Montreal to attend the 1967 International and Universal Exposition (Expo 67). Her inaugural trip to Canada left such an impression that when she learned about a call for nurses in Ottawa, she jumped at the opportunity. After a short period working in the nation’s capital, she moved to Hôpital Santa Cabrini in Montreal where she reunited with the friends she had made in Minnesota. She remained at the hospital for three decades until her retirement in 1999. Concepcion was known as a dedicated and hard-working nurse. She took great pride in her profession and inspired many members of her family to take up similar career paths.

A devoted sister and eager to provide economic opportunities for her family, Concepcion sponsored her younger brothers, Felipe and Cirilo, and later, her niece Wilma, to come to Canada. Thanks to her support, the Faron family grew in Montreal and in Vancouver. Concepcion proudly became a Canadian citizen on September 12th, 1972.

Despite making Canada her adopted home, Concepcion never forgot her parents and siblings in the Philippines, often sending financial support and always making time to call and find out the latest news from home. For Concepcion, family was the highest priority and she made every effort to participate in family gatherings and milestone celebrations near and far. Her ability to keep track of the lives and careers of her many nieces and nephews, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews was astonishing and appreciated by her family.

Concepcion was the last of the surviving Faron siblings. She leaves behind her sisters-in-law, Fe (Felipe) and Guadalupe (Cirilo), as well as 14 nieces and nephews, and their children and grand-children, in Canada, the United States, and the Philippines.

Les souvenirs et condoléances pour la famille Faron peuvent être partagés sur www.Centrefunerairecotedesneiges.com.