Violeta B Aguilar-Figuly

Violeta was born in Pampanga, Philippines, to Paulino and Eladia Aguilar on October 15, 1950. She attended the University of Santo Tomas and went on to build a life defined by courage, service, education, faith, determination, and love. On September 6, 1980, she married Albert Figuly at St. Peter’s Church in Richmond, Virginia. They had two children: Maria “Maricris” Figuly, and Alexandra Figuly.

In the 1970s, Violeta made the brave and adventurous decision to leave Manila and come to the United States to live and work as a nurse. She began her career in the southeastern United States, first in Richmond, Virginia, and later in Jacksonville, Florida, and Charlotte, North Carolina, before eventually settling in South Florida.

Violeta was ambitious, hardworking, and always striving for improvement and greatness. She believed deeply in education, discipline, and perseverance. She earned her master’s degree in the 1970s and later achieved her PhD in 2012 — a remarkable accomplishment and a reflection of her determination, intelligence, and pride in everything she worked so hard to achieve.

Her true passion was nursing education. She cared deeply about making a difference in the lives of her students and preparing them to become skilled, compassionate nurses. Violeta had high expectations because she believed excellence mattered. She challenged her students, pushed them, and helped them become stronger than they may have realized they could be.

Violeta was kind, intelligent, heartfelt, passionate, and fiercely determined. She was also stubborn — and proud of it. She had a rebellious spirit, a sharp nursing mind, a shrewd perspective, and a way of keeping everyone on their toes. She had an uncanny wit, a wonderful sense of humor, and beneath it all, a big and loving heart.

She worked hard throughout her life to provide the very best for her family, because she believed they deserved nothing less. Her love was shown through her strength, her sacrifices, her expectations, and her constant drive to keep moving forward.

When she was not teaching, Violeta enjoyed attending nursing conferences, visiting family across the United States, watching Netflix, and spending time with her siblings, daughters, nieces, nephews, and extended family. Her Catholic faith was also an important part of her life, and she found comfort and community at St. David Catholic Church.

Violeta also had a love for shoes, lottery tickets, and good food. And anyone who knew her well knew that she had a special talent for falling asleep anywhere — especially on the couch after every holiday meal.

In the days since her passing, her family has learned even more about the fullness of Violeta’s life. Because she was such a private person, we did not always realize how many deep and meaningful friendships she had built over the years. Since her passing, many of her colleagues and friends have reached out with stories, love, and concern. They have shown us that Violeta’s life was even richer, fuller, and more connected than we ever knew. That has been a heartwarming gift during a difficult time.

Violeta would want to be remembered as someone who made a real difference in the lives of her nursing students. During her time in intensive care, some of her former students helped care for her. They shared stories of her challenging lessons, her high standards, and the way she pushed them to achieve excellence. That was Violeta: demanding because she believed in people, proud because she had earned it, and passionate because she wanted others to succeed.

She taught us that education is something no one can ever take away from you. She taught us to be resilient, to keep pushing forward, and to never stop striving for better.

Violeta was preceded in death by her parents, Paulino and Eladia, and her brother, Artemio.

She is survived by her husband, Albert Figuly; her daughter, Maria Figuly; her daughter, Alexandra Figuly, and Alexandra’s husband, Joel LaRosa; her sisters, Rose Lim, Bella Cagayat, Julieta Manlulu, Elizabeth Reatiraza, and Maria Aguilar-Factora; and her many nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life Gathering will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Fred Hunter’s Funeral Home in Davie, Florida.

The family of Violeta wishes to extend our sincere thanks to the many friends, colleagues, students, and loved ones who have surrounded our family with care, stories, and compassion. The family would also like to thank the Cleveland Clinic Surgical ICU team and the St Bonaventure Catholic Parish.

Visitation will be held at Fred Hunter's Funeral Home, 2401 S University Drive, Davie, FL 33324, US, on May 22, 2026, from 9:00 am to 10:15 am. A Religious Ceremony will take place at t Bonaventure Catholic Parish 1301 SW 136th Ave, Davie, FL 33325 on May 22, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, followed by a Committal Service at Fred Hunter's Funeral Home, 2401 S University Drive, Davie, FL 33324, US, on May 22, 2026, from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm.