Florizelle Valencerina Villanueva

Florizelle Valencerina Villanueva, the heart and anchor of our family, left us in the early morning of March 3, 2025 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Survived by her loving husband Eduardo, daughter Araceli, son-in-law Patrick, son Vincent and daughter-in-law Happy, youngest son Ronald, and daughter-in-law Cecilia. She was also blessed with six grandchildren Laurence, Vivienne, Paolo, Maverick, Dominic and Talulah.

A nurse by profession, she studied and started her career in the Philippines. Flor also spent many years during the 80’s working at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as a NICU nurse. In the early 90’s she immigrated with the whole family to British Columbia, Canada and worked in various medical institutions, most notably at Surrey Memorial Hospital.

Flor and Eduardo moved to California with their youngest son in 1999 and subsequently in 2001 they settled in Washington State. She worked as an OR nurse specializing in open heart surgeries at Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue, Washington until her retirement in 2016. They made the decision to move back to Canada to be closer to the grandkids.

Since retiring Flor has concentrated on travelling and spending time with Eduardo, the kids and grandchildren. She also scheduled trips to meet up a few times a year with her beloved siblings and extended family in California and the Philippines.

We would like to thank all the doctors, nurses and other medical staff that Flor encountered during her cancer journey. She always said that she was so grateful and happy with the care she received from BC Cancer in Surrey, Surrey Memorial Hospital and Jim Pattison Medical Center.To the staff at Melville Hospice in White Rock, thank you for the care and compassion you have shown her and our whole family during her final days.

A viewing will be held at St. Matthew's R.C. Parish on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. for those who wish to pay their respects. The Funeral Mass will follow at 11:00 a.m. Flor will be laid to rest at Gardens of Gethsemani Catholic Cemetery.

A donation in her memory may be made to the BC Cancer Foundation - Pancreatic Cancer, Make-A-Wish Foundation or to any charity of your choice, in lieu of flowers. We pray for a cure for cancer.