Figueroa, Iluminada Castro
November 28, 1930 (San Jose, Hagonoy, Bulacan, Philippines) to June 24, 2023 (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)

It is with great sadness that the family of Iluminada Castro Figueroa announce her peaceful passing on the 24th of June, 2023 in Calgary, Alberta at the age of 92 years old.

Iluminada was born on November 28, 1930 in San Jose, Hagonoy, Bulacan, Philippines to her parents Moises Castro and Modesta Perez Castro. She was the youngest of six children (Felicidad, Indo, Sario, Nicolas and Victoria). She married her husband Alejandro Enriquez Figueroa (a World War ll Veteran) in 1946, after which they moved to Tondo, Manila. They had five children named Felicitas, Danilo, Luis, Nenita and Zenaida. She raised her family as a homemaker and worked as a seamstress. Her husband passed away at 66 years old in 1988 and she became a widow at 58 years old.

In 1990, Iluminada immigrated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada with her sons Danilo, Luis and grandson Tupeng to live with her daughter Zenaida and her family. She aspired to work as a seamstress in Canada. In 1994, she was proudly sworn in as a Canadian citizen.

She enjoyed chatting on the phone with her friends, taking her grandchildren to the park and mall, watching soap operas in English and Tagalog, sewing, growing strawberries, listening to music, playing Mahjong (Chinese tile game) and Tong-its (Filipino rummy card game), doing her nails and getting her hair done, as well as travelling back home to the Philippines once a year to spend time with her beloved family and friends.

She is survived by three of her children Felicitas, Danilo and Zenaida. She had 15 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and 6 great great grandchildren as well as numerous nieces, nephews and their families. She will be extremely missed by her family, her loving cat Simba and her granddaughter’s dog Mr. Mikko Miyagi.