Amelita Galauran Almeda

Born on May 11, in 1935 she is the third daughter of six siblings that Jose and Avelina Vasquez brought into the world. At the height of the second world war, the six siblings were struck by tragedy after the early loss of their parents. It was their mother’s dying wish that they ended up being adopted together. As faith would have it, distant relatives with big hearts, opened their arms to welcome Mely and her siblings. They would be raised by Amando and Constancia Galauran from Paranaque, beginning a new chapter in their lives.

Mely had a cheerful and joyous childhood despite the early setbacks she faced. She studied at St. Paul’s College to be a teacher and was ultimately hired to teach at that same school immediately after graduation. A few years later she would find another job at the NBI, the National Bureau of Investigation. This of course is where she would meet a strapping field agent, Leonardo “the love of her life” and spark an instantly passionate romance. The two would marry in the summer of 1959, about 4 months after knowing each other.

The two were blessed with 7 children in total. There were 3 sons, Joseph, Jeffrey, Jason, 2 daughters, Fatima and Leomerita and two angels who left us at birth, Ramona and Arthur who will now welcome their mother with loving arms.

Mely continued to work for the government and in the late 70’s took a position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From there, she dreamt of a foreign assignment from the ministry so she could give her children a better future. But to do that, she knew she had to strengthen her credentials. So she did the unthinkable. She went back to university in her early 40s to obtain a degree in Political Science while keeping her job at the Ministry and raising her 5 children. Her sacrifices eventually paid off when she was offered an assignment at the Philippine Consulate in Vancouver, Canada.

Finally, in the late 80’s she realized her dream. The entire family successfully migrated to Canada. But life did not start so well as she may have thought. For the first few years she was the sole breadwinner to her children, struggling to find a footing in a new world. But Mely was determined not to give up and end up back in the Philippines. She would always say “You guys have a better future here...it’s just a matter of time before things get better.” She was the bedrock of the family and a titan of positivity.

Her children eventually found their way with the help of her constant encouragement. Life started to get better. However, as always it is never smooth sailing for Mely. In the late 90s she would make the greatest decision of her life. Through her undying and unconditional love for Leonardo, she would save his life and keep the family intact. Having suffered a massive stroke, she cared for him for 14 years without hesitation and with so much love, until she could no longer.

It was in 2013 that she would be diagnosed with the most dreadful disease, dementia. She fought gallantly for 7 years. Towards the end, she used that same determination to keep the memories of her children with her. During her final moments, she opened her eyes and saw the faces of all her children serenading her with her favorite songs and prayers. And with that, her Christian faith, Catholic upbringing and tremendous love from her family sent her peacefully along on the next journey.

Her life was a shining example of devotion to one’s family. A testament to facing adversity with unconditional love by remembering that family always comes first.

She is survived by her husband Narding, sons Joseph, Jeffrey, Jason, daughters Fatima, Leomerita, in laws Gina, Mitzi, Agnes, Fernan, Andrew and grandchildren Jamie, Jorelle, Sam, Joash, Krystal, Faith, Aimee, Shalayna, sisters Lourdes, Charity ; plus numerous nephews and nieces.

Her legacy of dedication and tenacity live on through them. She rests knowing that she was loved deeply and will never be forgotten.