Clara Manalili Ramos

Born November 24, 1927 in Manila, Philippines. She passed away peacefully at home in Chula Vista on January 14, 2026. She was 98 years old.

One of four children; brother Manuel, sisters Adella, and Florentina, they grew up in Grace Park, Caloocan City. The family had to move to their home province of San Miguel, Bulacan during the war, Returning to Grace Park when the war ended. Clara was a graduate of Philippine Normal College, Manila with a Degree in Education, she taught primary school. She said she preferred teaching younger children because their minds are like sponges and they are eager to learn (also, they were still afraid of their teachers wink, wink). During her college years she was a Girl Scout mentor and danced with a Filipino Folk Dance group. She met her future husband Isko through mutual family members in Bacoor, Cavite. They married in Manila, she then followed Isko to where he was stationed at US Naval Base, Yokosuka, Japan. The first of many moves. While in Japan, she welcomed two children, Bernard and Marie. They moved to Philippines for a year, then from the Philippines crossing the Pacific in an ocean liner with two toddlers to Long Beach, CA. Then to Kaohsiung, Taiwan – where younger daughter Christine was born, then moved to Oakland, CA, then Alameda, CA, then from Alameda crossing the Pacific again in an ocean liner with three children in tow, to US Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. From there they retired to the Philippines for eight years, returning to California when their son joined the US Navy. Clara was a plant lover, when she saw a plant in public that she liked, she would break a piece off and stick it in a jar of water and it would grow (glad she never got in trouble for doing that with her partner in crime Agnes). She enjoyed crocheting, she would crochet little doilies and give them away to friends and family. She also enjoyed doing word search puzzles, she said it kept her mind sharp. And she loved dark chocolate candy; red grapes, and apples, said they were healthy for you Predeceased by her parents Julian and Cecilia, her three siblings, her husband of 52 years Francisco, and daughter Christine. She is survived by her son Bernard his wife Agnes, daughter Marie her husband Frank, her son-in-law Roger, and grandchildren Danielle, Matthew, and Megan. Also, by a niece and nephews in the Philippines. She will be missed.