Estelita Santos Bigornia

Estelita Santos Bigornia, age 98, of Seattle, Washington, passed away on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. She was born in the Philippines on June 26,1927, eldest of 13 children of Jose Santos and Eleuteria Castañeda. She immigrated to Seattle in the 70s, and became a US citizen in 1982. She took care of her health by avoiding salt and sugar, walking, and exercising.

Estelita was a hardworking do-it-yourselfer, learning dressmaking, baking, cooking, arranging flowers, and running a business by herself. She operated a municipal cafeteria, sold nurses’ shoes, and ran a tricycle and jeepney business. Highly motivated, she achieved her goal of sending her three daughters to college.

Her passions were traveling and ballroom dancing. She traveled to Europe with her friends. Her daughter Leticia treated her to trips to Africa, Malaysia, Colombia, Spain, Barbados, Canada, and USA. She learned ballroom dancing, competed, and received bronze medals.

Fun loving, kind, and thoughtful, Estelita will be missed by her three daughters Milagros, Leticia and Leonora, her nine grandchildren, her 14 great grandchildren, her caregivers Bella, Shida, Tanya and Madeline, and her relatives and friends. Please share your sympathies and fond memories with Estelita’s family at www.washelli.com.

A funeral mass for Estelita will be held Thursday, September 11, 2025 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, 205 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98109. A lunch reception will occur Thursday, September 11, 2025 from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM at Evergreen Washelli Funeral, 11111 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133. A visitation & rosary service will occur Thursday, September 11, 2025 from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM at Evergreen Washelli Funeral, 11111 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133.