Alfreda Cuartero De Castro

Alfreda Cuartero De Castro, 80, died surrounded by her loving family on October 18, 2020, from cardiac arrest due to organ failure. She was born on December 9, 1939, in Madrid Surigao Del Sur, Philippines, to her late parents, Policarpio Cuartero and Gregoria Sumodong. She was the fourth youngest of the twelve children. Married to late Ernesto de Castro on July 1, 1962, and became a widow in June 1991. Survived by her three children, Arlene De Castro Gonzalo (Julio), Celeste De Castro Morales (Armando) and Mary Rose De Castro Katipunan (Bayani). She has ten grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Alfreda was a community (Barangay) leader in San Jose Del Monte Bulacan and advocated the Women’s Livelihood Program. With her strong fighting spirit was able to get assistance from non-government organizations. Using her talents and skills as a Seamstress, she became a subcontractor for Novelty Philippines, exporters of baby dresses, and creates jobs for women in the community. She also managed her food stall while taking care of her children when they were young.

Alfreda moved to Canada in 1995 to join her daughter Celeste Morales and help her in raising and taking care of her two children. Later on, she was joined by her youngest daughter Mary Rose Katipunan and help her too in taking care of her youngest daughter.

Alfreda was an avid churchgoer and a parishioner of Saint Jude’s Church and a Seniors Brigade Society of BC. She enjoys going to Collingwood Senior Centre in her fashionable outfits. She loves to dance and sing karaoke and play bingo with her friends. Others always know her as Nanay Apring, a manghihilot or therapist and manghuhula or fortuneteller.

Alfreda will be remembered as a selfless and giving mother, sister, and friend and a strong, determined person who, even in her battle with kidney dialysis, still found the strength, smile, love, and took the future with hope. We will miss her tremendously and always have the reason to smile, and thank God; she was in our lives. Thank you for everything Nanay, love you more than the words can say. See you and Tatay in heaven.

God looked around the garden,

And found an empty space.

He then looked down upon the earth,

And saw your tired face.

He put His arms around you

And lifted you to rest.

God's garden must be beautiful

For He only takes the best.

He knew that you were weary,

and He knew you were in pain.

He knew that you would never

get well on earth again.

He saw the roads were getting rough,

and the hills were hard to climb.

So He closed your weary eyelids,

and whispered, "Peace be thine."

It broke our hearts to lose you

But you didn't go alone,

For part of us went with you

The day God called you home.