Dinaflor Dizon Villanueva

Dinaflor Dizon Villanueva

(Name is derived from a combination of Dinalupihan

and Florida Blanca, her parents' hometowns.)

Born October 22, 1946 in Dinalupihan, Bataan

Passed Away April 18, 2013 in Helena, Alabama

Dina was 66.

~ Celebration of Dina’s Life ~

May 3, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

St. Rose of Lima

11701 Clopper Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878

(301) 948-7545

While in the Philippines, Dina graduated from the University of Santo Tomas with a bachelor's degree in business administration. She married Dominador Villanueva and became a homemaker, raising their 3 children ― Cris, Andre, and Carlo.

In 1980, the young family made the leap to the United States and settled in Illinois. Because of job opportunities for Dominador, the family relocated to Virginia, and then to Maryland. Dominador passed away in 1995, and the family relocated again to Alabama, where Cris had enrolled in optometry school.

Despite suffering from kidney disease, Dina was the rock of her family. She received her kidney transplant Christmas Eve '95, and for many years she enjoyed relatively good health. Throughout all this, she worked at Marshall's, logging in over two decades of service until her retirement in 2009. She resided with Andre and received strong support from Cris and Carlo. She delighted in her grandchildren, William, 9, and Mason, 5 (Cris); Lola Jade, 3 (Carlo); and Cara, 5 months (Andre). She shared an exceptionally close bond with Lola, having cared for her almost daily in her later years.

Some of her favorite things were cooking and eating (like any proud Filipino), spy books and movies, crossword puzzles and word searches, Matlock reruns, CNN, and trips to the beach. Her loud, infectious laugh, indomitable spirit, and friendly personality will be remembered by those lucky enough to have known her. She leaves behind dear friends in Alabama, California, Arizona, Virginia, Maryland, Canada, and the Philippines.

We would like to give a deep and heartfelt Thank You to all the friends who kept in touch with our mother. Whether you visited,

wrote, called, cooked or prayed for her, or simply exchanged comments on Facebook, know that you played a role in keeping

her spirits up. You stretched and enriched her life, allowing us children to treasure her presence for as long as we did.

Andre, Cris, and Carlo