OBITUARY Leonora H Erese March 20, 1927 – October 13, 2018 Leonora H. Erese “Amma” Born: March 20, 1927 in Ballesteros Cagayan, Philippines Died: October 13, 2018 in Seattle, Washington “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience”. ― Eleanor Roosevelt Leonora H. Erese also known as “Amma”, age 91 passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones in Seattle, Washington. Amma was known to her family and friends as someone with a big heart, who always has little dashes of love to give to everyone around her.
From her laughter when she used to play bingo to her outpour of adoration to her growing garden. Whatever she was doing or whoever she encountered, Amma was always one who selflessly gave bits of her love to everyone and she enjoyed doing so to the fullest. She was born on March 20, 1927 in a quaint town of Ballesteros in Cagayan Valley, Philippines.
She grew up in a close-knit family, with her parents Jose and Tomasa Olivas Hernandez, and her older sister, Maria. Yet, Amma was always a woman of adventure. She left the province to live in Manila in her earlier years and later on, set foot to Seattle when she fell in love with her husband, the late Leo Erese.
She loved living these experiences and the people who surrounded her. For a few years, she went with her husband to Alaska to work at a cannery and enjoyed being there. Later on, she worked at the Providence Hospital cafeteria and took pride in it, and worked there for several years until she retired.
There, she made many, many friends. She has traveled to many places in her lifetime. She went on a tour to Jerusalem and was even water-baptized in the Jordan River.
She has traveled to many places all over the United States from county to county. She was young at heart as she had the most enthralling times in Disneyworld and Disneyland. She soaked in the sun in California, relished the night life in Las Vegas, and took road trips to Canada.
She also visited the historic monuments of Washington DC and beamed as she did this. Amma also strolled around the bustling places of New York and Atlantic City. In addition, she has also visited the Philippines several times and traveled from island to island.
She always loved telling stories of the past to her family and friends. She could recall many events during her lifetime, which makes her a great keeper of memories. She loved these experiences and relished all of it.
Because of her constant fervor for life, Amma was a magnet to many. She always found friends wherever she went. Amma went to church regularly and enjoyed going to the Filipino Community Center for IDIC to socialize with other senior citizens like her.
They knew her as a lover of animals, a storyteller and an avid collector of intricate fixtures. Additionally, she always cared for her beloved dog; a chubby chihuahua named “Gabbie”. When her husband died, she did not remarry again nor had any biological children of her own.
But with that said, to her family, she was like everyone’s mother. Her nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great grandchildren saw her and often fondly called her as “Mama”. She loved to bake and was famous for her delicious Filipino rice cake dessert called “bibingka”, she used to spoil her family with that.
She celebrated with them. She was a woman of music and rich melody. She loved to play the piano with her distinctive ear and soft touch.
She would sing in her own dialect, Ilocano, with her niece, Marfelita as she sung through some family gatherings. All the children in the family from youngest to the oldest have fond memories of Amma. She loved everyone as if they were her own children.
They grew up with her as she taught them different languages, sung with them, told never-ending stories of folklore and the past. Amma cared for many of them and she would always give them a full embrace no matter how old they were. Amma was always present at family gatherings even at 91, she still would hang out with all the children as she posed for their photos.
She looked at them always with a certain enthrallment, a warm smile, and a presence that was always filled with so much love. Losing Amma will be difficult because we all lost a grandmother, aunt and friend with a great laugh, a fascinating story-teller, a woman rich with experiences, and most of all, a mother to many of us. Amma is survived by her nephews, nieces, grandchildren and great grandchildren who all love her and grew up with her amazing dashes of love.
In losing her, we realize we should not be filled with sadness, we should look at life with the same fervor and the same love she always shared with everyone. Farewell, Amma. Thank you for sharing your life with us.
We love you. Please join us as we celebrate her life.
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