Violeta A. Arias Lacsina

Violeta Arias Lacsina was born on January 14, 1939 in the city of Cavite, Philippines. Born to Demetrio Arias and Maria Javier, she was the second youngest sister of five brothers (Hernado, Carlito, Bienvenido, Narciso, & Diosdado) and one sister (Soledad). Growing up in a low-Income family, she focused on her education while maintaining the house as her parents sold seafood at the local market and siblings working various jobs. She was a devoted catholic who prayed daily and attended Sunday Service. When she had a moment to enjoy herself, she took pleasure in singing and dancing with her friends at the nearby cabaret.

As a young adult, Violeta grew up to become a beautiful woman. Her elegance was admired by many, but no man was appealing to her until a close friend had encouraged her to write a letter to a friend she knew. He was a gentleman named Antonio from Pampanga who was serving in the United States Navy. She wrote a simple letter to him and Antonio wrote back, eventually becoming pen pals. With each exchanging letter, they slowly began to fall in love and on June 2, 1966 they were married at San Roque Catholic Church in Cavite.

Shortly following the wedding, Violeta moved with Antonio to the United States and bought their first home in National City, California, where she would spend the rest of her life. On April 28, 1967, she gave birth to a baby girl and inspired by the divine assistance from God, she named her Grace. She later had three sons, Anthony, Joseph, and Alex (All named after Saints.) She got her first job working at an electronics and ceramics manufacturer called Kyocera International and retired after 19 years.

After she retired, Violeta continued to take care of her growing family. She loved cooking and took pride in the meals she made since there were no leftovers. She treasured every moment when the family gathered to celebrate an event, especially during the holidays. Sometimes, she played mahjong until 2 in the morning as she relished in the company of her siblings, nieces, and nephews. She was a fan of sports and on occasion, she enjoyed the thrill of Blackjack at the Casinos.

In 2003, doctors had discovered complications with her heart. Unfortunately, the day she would have surgery would also be the day Alex left for the military. She would go through numerous surgical procedures to have the problem corrected. Given a pacemaker to help her heart, she often referred herself as “The Bionic Women.” Although in pain, she still found the ability to laugh and smile. Over the next ten years, she would be tested physically, mentally, and emotionally as she was diagnosed with colon cancer and breast cancer. Motivated to see her grandchildren grow up, she built up the courage to do whatever it took to get better. With the support & prayers from her family & friends, she did just that.

In February of 2013, Violeta was diagnosed with cancer a third time which would be her last battle. She spent the last of her days with the family and friends that she cherished so much. She encouraged everyone to love themselves and each other. Regardless of differences, be there to support one another and to live life to the fullest. Lastly, she reminded everyone to pray and attend mass weekly for God is good. Looking back at life she lived, she had no regrets and felt relieved to know that her family would head towards a future filled with togetherness and love.

On March 25, 2013, Violeta had peacefully passed away... No longer living on earth, she lives eternally in the kingdom of heaven with the God she worshipped and reunited with her family gone before her. Her memory will forever be remembered in the hearts of those whose lives she has touched.