Cirila Dagdag Reyes

Mrs. Cirila “Lily” Dagdag Reyes, born February 7, 1927 (95 years) in Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur, Philippines passed away on May 4, 2022, in Jacksonville, Florida. She was a long-time resident of Stockton, California since 1981 and moved to Florida in 2019.

Cirila earned a master’s degree in Education from the University of Manila, Philippines and taught for 34 years in the Philippine public school system. Her last position was as a Master Teacher in math until she and her family moved to the United States in 1981.

Cirila, known as Mama by all, was a smart woman who loved and excelled at being a teacher. She taught her students the standard curriculum—reading, writing and arithmetic—but also how to sew and crochet, her creative passions.

You could always find her singing and playing piano, solving the daily newspaper’s crossword puzzle and up to her later years, playing Sudoku and Word Search. She frequented local Chinese and Japanese restaurants, her favorites. Most of all, she enjoyed Filipino soap operas, scheduling her daily activities around her favorite shows.

As the family matriarch, she ruled with a firm hand and a big heart. She was reliable and trustworthy, helping everyone in any way she could. Despite her small stature (4’8”), she left a lasting impact wherever she went and was remembered fondly by all. Mama will be missed for her generosity, as well as her warm and loving ways.

She is predeceased by her husband Arturo Horlanda Reyes who passed away in Stockton, California in 2002. She is survived by her sister Mrs. Fe Esperanza Lestano; her children Yolanda (Gregory) Totten, Amelia (Randy) Reyes-Cooks, Dr. Helen Socorro Reyes, MD, Winnie Ruth (Kelly) Ontiveros and Roberto Antonio (Tammie) Reyes; her grandchildren Jessica Theresa (Andrew) Braun, Erica Cirila Totten, Charles Arthur (Jordan) Totten, Joy Reyes (John) Luft, Donald Arthur Shuler, Jennifer-Randi Reyes Cooks, Christopher Ely (Alice) Palisoc, Krystle Kaye (Nicholas) Watt, Sven Norman Jacobson III, Daniel Kelly Ontiveros, Gavin Alexander Ontiveros, Elyssa Carson Reyes, Jasmine Carson Reyes; her great grandchildren Luca Charles, Oliver Patrick and Beckett Andrew Braun, Charlie Wren and Riley Lane Totten, Aaron Alexander, Malakas Robert and Téa Andora, Desirae Sayuri and Peyton Mayumi Palisoc. From Cebu and Davao, Philippines her niece Dr. Maria Theresa (Manuel) Tipgos MD, nephews Wallace (Belinda) Lestano, Joel Andres (Joanne) Lestano, and Florencio Dexter (Gemma) Lestano and their children.

There was a private family viewing on May 7 at Hardage-Giddens Oaklawn in Jacksonville, Florida. Her body was transported to Stockton, California for viewing on May 16 at DeYoung Shoreline Chapel from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on May 17 at Carson Oaks Community Church at 6509 Alturas Avenue, Stockton, California 95207. She will be buried at Cherokee Memorial Cemetery in Lodi, California at 1:00 pm that day. The Funeral service will be livestreamed on Carson Oaks Community Church Facebook page and Carson Oaks Community Church YouTube page.