Adoracion Umali Arceo

Born on April 26, 1933 and the second of 12 children, she stood out as the most offbeat among the brood.

While her brothers and sisters chose matrimony and family life, she embraced celibacy and blessed singleness, committing herself not to just one person, but to her friends and family, including dozens of nephews and nieces, as well as the Lord. She was relentlessly pious and actively participated and volunteered in many church ministries and activities.

Dori grew up at the ancestral home of her paternal grandparents in Batangas, Philippines where she spent more than 40 years of her life before immigrating to the United States. She graduated high school from St. Bridget’s Academy and finished a degree in Education. She worked at the Shell Refinery for many years in the 70s, and gained popularity in her hometown as the only female who drove and owned a car (a blue Renault).

When she moved to the US in 1978, she worked in California through her retirement.

Her independent spirit took her to many places, both far and near, the number of which draws admiration from everyone who hears about her travels. During one of her trips to Europe, for example, she chanced upon the Oberammergau Passion Play, which is only staged every 10 years in Bavaria, Germany.

Her life journey was not without difficulty. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1980, she chose to trust God’s plan and was convinced that she would receive healing without going through her chemotherapy sessions. She believed that her faith would heal her and it did. Her cancer reoccurred in the first quarter of 2016, but this did not stop her from embarking on one last trip to Australia and New Zealand. She also attended the Santana and Journey concert in August at the Inglewood Forum. She never showed signs of slowing down at the age of 83. The state of her health was never an excuse not to hear mass, meet with friends, pray for her loved ones and continuing to discover the many wonders of the world, of which many would attest she was one.

On October 5, Dori died during a consult with an ophthalmologist. She is survived by her six siblings Norma, Jimmy, Helen, Susan, Rogel and Delia. Her soul is in repose with the Lord in heaven where she joins her parents, Jose and Ruperta, and her siblings Lourdes, Oscar, Romeo, Ruben, and Mario.#