Obituary of Romula Dela Rosa

Romula (Romy) Balite Dela Rosa passed away peacefully on the evening of August 3, 2023 surrounded by loved ones, 11 days after celebrating her 100th birthday. Romy was born on July 23, 1923 in Mabini, Pangasinan, Philippines to parents Gregorio, Sr. and Adela Balite. She was the oldest of two siblings, with younger brother Gregorio, Jr. Her childhood and school years were spent in Baguio City, where she graduated from St. Louis College with a B.S. in Commerce. On July 29, 1946, Romy married her husband, Alejandro (Alex) Mendoza Dela Rosa and together, they had two daughters and four sons. While raising their six children, Romy was not only a dedicated mother and housewife, but also very involved in her community and church. In both Manila and Parang, Cotobato, the couple were active members in the local church’s Cursillo and Romy took an active role in the Catholic Women’s League. Throughout all the places they lived, the Dela Rosas were well known for their generosity, hospitality, and loving spirits. In 1978, Romy and her family immigrated to the United States and settled in Portland, Oregon. The couple became an integral part of the local Filipino community as well as the Filipino-American (FilAm) Association of Portland & Vicinity, where Alex at one point served as Association President and Romy filled many roles, including Treasurer and on the Board of Directors. As the family continued to grow as their adult children married and had kids of their own, Romy and Alex’s house on Taylor St. was always full of life. She loved spending time with her family and friends, cooking, gardening, playing mahjong and bingo, and interacting with her neighbors and community. After a century of life, she will be remembered for her lively and extroverted nature, her glamor and beauty, her prowess at the mahjong and bingo tables, her delicious cooking, her fun-loving spirit and laughter, and her generosity and endless love for all her family and friends. Romula is preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Alejandro, Sr., and survived by her children Jane (late husband Rene) Dulay, Armand (Rosita) Dela Rosa, Alejandro, Jr. (Manuela) Dela Rosa, Arthur (Rosalina) Dela Rosa, Arnold (Donetta) Dela Rosa, and Joy (John) Dela Rosa-Chang, her 11 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, and a loving community of extended family and friends across the United States and the Philippines.