Rosita Villamayor Cariaga

Real love shows in a person’s daily action and leaves people’s lives forever changed. Rosita Villamayor Cariaga (also known as Rosie or Sita), born April 7, 1954, was laid to rest in the arms of the Lord on the morning of May 1, 2024 at the age of 70 after having lived a life full of that love.

As the youngest child of Restituto and Severina (Pastores) Villamayor, she was close to all her siblings – Elsa, Dante, Nimfa, Johnny, Yolanda, and her surviving siblings Jaime, Salome, and Susana. Her great love for her family helped create a closeness within the Villamayor family that is rarely seen these days among large extended families.

From a young age, she studied and worked hard for the future of her entire family. Rosita was a Commerce graduate from the Philippine College of Commerce. After graduation, she worked for Monte de Piedad where she met her husband, Narciso (Jun) Cariaga. They were married on June 25, 1983 and had their one and only daughter, Kristine.

On March 8, 1998, the three of them went to Canada to see how they liked Edmonton then decided to stay for good. With the support and companionship of their many friends and family, they were able to live happily together in Canada.

Rosita and Narciso were part of many prayer and Catholic initiatives, particularly the Couples for Christ Community, and served faithfully and joyfully in their everyday lives. She was part of the choir that sang at various parishes in Edmonton.

Rosita was particularly talented in budgeting and saving money and used that talent skillfully in many ways. She used it to serve the church, her community, and not least of all, her extended family. She is still known to be the most wise in the practicalities of finance. In her later career, she became an insurance broker and helped many people protect their finances and their families. She was always learning and growing and sharing her skills and experience.

Since she first started working, Rosita has continued to be the source of steadfast care and direction for a majority of her nieces and nephews as well as grand-nieces and grand-nephews. Rosita tirelessly campaigned to secure them the means to better their futures. She helped fund tuitions, provided boarding in her homes in Canada and the Philippines, and found various ways to help them find better jobs. She is the reason many of her siblings’ children have found their way here to Canada. Even in her last few days, she was always thinking of ways to help her loved ones. She loved with both action and thought and never thought of it as a burden or good deed to be repaid. She was walking the path of Jesus and did it joyfully.

Known to have an ever present smile and a happy-go-lucky attitude, she was always laughing, appreciating the little things in life, travelling and taking a lot of pictures, eating good food, and dancing and singing at every occasion, no matter if there was music or not. The music of life lived in her heart.

The Viewing and Prayer Service schedule is as follows:

Friday, May 10, 2024:

Viewing and Prayer Vigil: 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Trinity Funeral Home (10530 116 St. NW, Edmonton)

The viewing will be livestreamed and can be watched at this link: LiveStreamRositaCariaga

Saturday, May 11, 2024:

Viewing: 8:30 am - 10:00 am St. Edmund’s Catholic Church (13120 116 St. NW, Edmonton)

Funeral Mass 10:00 am - 11:00 am St. Edmund’s Catholic Church (13120 116 St. NW, Edmonton) Celebrated by Rev. Jinu Rajan

Reception 11:30 am - 3:30 pm Athlone Community Hall (13010 129 St. NW, Edmonton)