To Perlita Santos Cuenca, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, she was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around her, she seemed to be eternally happy, and she willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life she touched. For Perlita, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, she could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Perlita really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.
Perlita was born on February 6, 1950 in Las Pinas, Philippines. Her parents were Barnabe and Aurora Santos. Perlita was raised in Las Pinas, Philippines. Even as a child, Perlita had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around her. She was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. She couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. She was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, she succeeded in entertaining her entire family.
Always a good playmate, Perlita was easygoing and fun loving. She managed to lighten the mood wherever she was, even during family squabbles. She seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Perlita managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Perlita was raised with 9 siblings. They were Arsenio Santos, Erlinda Guansing, Barnabe Santos, Rosie Tionquio, Rolando Santos, Marietta Tayag, Teresita Cristobal, Violeta Quilatan and Arse Santos.
Ask anyone who knew her from school and they would tell you that Perlita was a class “cut-up.” She didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Perlita simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of her friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Perlita, grades may not have been the most important thing to her, but she really did enjoy her school experience. She enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” Perlita graduated from St. Joseph Academy High School in 1965. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers.
Perlita reveled in her college years, where her imagination could run free. She was viewed by many of her classmates as being a creative, artistic person. Perlita was usually found at the center of things, whether it was during class or in extracurricular activities. She was a jovial person who loved to share her passion for fun with others. But for Perlita, life was not a case of all play and no work. Perlita relished the task of putting her imagination to work in class. She was able to discover new and different ways of answering problems and creating unusual and different solutions. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.
Perlita never actually encountered a stranger in her dealings with people. She was drawn to individuals and crowds, using her gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate her audience. This quality allowed Perlita to continually develop new relationships, ever widening her circle of friends. Perlita delighted in her role among all her acquaintances, because she viewed them all as potential spectators for her performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Perlita was always right at home putting on a show among her friends. Perlita utilized her interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of her best friends were Lucy Mayuga, Lucy Cosme Sollie Maupin and Virgie Velazquez. Later in life, she became friends with Mercedes Albania. Perlita loved sharing life and having her home filled with people she knew.
The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made Perlita very easy to approach. On December 29, 1968 Perlita exchanged wedding vows with Renato Reyes Cuenca at St. Joseph Catholic Church of Las Pinas, Rizal Philippines. She tried hard not to impose on her spouse. She was always sensitive to other people’s feelings, and that was especially true in marriage.
Perhaps the reason Perlita related so well to children was the fact that she never really completely grew up herself. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped her in raising her own children. Perlita was blessed with four children, Shella, Shirley, Shellane and Sharon. They were also blessed with 13 grandchildren, Arnel-Justin, Christian, Abigail, Annalyssa, Ayden, Adriana, Anthony, Alyssa, Caden, Kalani, Kaleo, Kaimea and Kamaile. Perlita had the ability to focus her attention on the present moment. If she was spending time with the kids, that’s where all of her attention was directed. Perlita's compassionate side prevented her from being a strict disciplinarian, and she could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. She could spend hours entertaining them with fun and creative play. In fact, Perlita had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.
At work, as in life, Perlita was a real “people person.” She had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and her enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Perlita liked to see herself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Perlita was an adaptable realist, using her common sense and trusting her experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Perlita's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around her to see Perlita as an excellent problem solver. Her primary occupation was a banker. She was employed for Bank of Nevada, Bank of America and Long Beach Credit Union.
Perlita felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if she wasn’t the best, Perlita loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Perlita relished the opportunities where she could make an impact, and she would often push herself to play above her abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Perlita never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. Perlita was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list was basketball.
Perlita believed that you had to experience life, and her life in retirement was no different. When that day finally arrived in 2012, Perlita took it in stride as one more way to have fun. Her new life involved relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada. With her boundless energy and a desire to get the most out of life, Perlita remained busy with people and projects. In retirement, she found new pleasure in ballroom dancing and raising orchid. Even in retirement, Perlita continued to stay in touch with her old friends and, since she'd never met a stranger, she made plenty of new acquaintances as well.
Perlita passed away on May 14, 2018 at St. Rose San Martin Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada after a long illness. She is survived by her husband, Renato; children: Shella Cuenca, Shirley Cuenca, Shellane Cosme, Sharon Cuenca; grandchildren Arnel-Justin, Christian, Abigail, Annalyssa, Adrianna, Anthony, Alyssa, Kalani, Kaleo, Kaimea and Kamaile; great granddaughter Aulani Mageo; siblings Rosie Tionquio, Rolando Santos, Marietta Tayag, Teresita Cristobal, Violetta Quilatan and Arse Santos. Services were held at Palm Southwest Mortuary, 7979 W. Warm Springs Rd., Las Vegas, NV.
Perlita brought joy to all of those around her. She never had a mean bone in her body. She loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. She loved to share her energy, wit, and her zest for all of her activities with her friends and family. Perlita Santos Cuenca lived life to its fullest and made everyone around her happier just for knowing her. She will be remembered with a smile.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18