From: editha_uy@hotmail.com To: marinagf@aol.com
Sent: 3/19/2009 10:30:07 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
Subj: Regarding Rosita Tan Fonte

Dear Marina,
I'm sorry for being the bearer of bad news.   As I told you on the phone, our classmate Rosita Tan Fonte passed away on 3-03-09 following a short bout of what appeared to have started as Right Lower Lobe pneumonia.  Apparentely, she failed to respond to the usual antibiotics and when pleural effusion developed, they initiated TB therapy but the pleural fluid showed metastatic disease with no primary.  She then went into respiratory failure and since the deterioration was rapid, no further work-up was done. 
Two months ago, she phoned me and was quite upbeat.  She had finally conquered the aches and pains which had bothered her for years and was happy with her primary care physician.  Her daughter, Jay was coming home after working as a nurse in London for years.  Her illness was sudden and shocked her family and friends.
According to Jay;  her parents were long time sweethearts from Iligan City (Lanao del Norte) in Mindanao.  I'm not sure when the family moved to Romblon.   I know for a fact that her side of the family didn't approve of  the relationship, Rose being pure Chinese.  They were married while we were in Med School.  Juliet Yap was a good friend of Rose.  However, the witnesses during her wedding were Boots Yusi, Glinda Tugade and myself.  After graduation, she practiced pediatrics and family medicine in Manila.  Even then she has had problem with Trigeminal Neuralgia. In 1985, she came to the United States for our reunion in California, upon my invitation since we were the host then.  She was a very good cook.  She made very delicious hopia, peanut butter and baked perfect cakes.  In 1987, she attended our grand ball in Manila Hotel.  She and Ernest were very gracious to take care of Mike who was 7 years old then and took him around town and fed us with home cooked meals.   Then they migrated to New Zealand and she became very busy raising the family and adjusting to her new country.  She had 3 children; 2 daughters and 1 son.  There are 5 grandchildren; 4 boys and 1 girl.  She is well loved by the community for her willingness to help out especially with regards to their medical needs.  I will miss her. 

A Story Of True Love

Commentary by Teresita Fonte Silverio   Fairfield, Northern California

From: LilyPeping To: MARINAGF
Sent: 3/20/2009 2:35:05 A.M. Eastern Standard Time
Subj: E-MAIL

Dear Marina,

I  enjoyed our talk tonight. It is so nice to talk with old friends such as you and get updated on the goings and comings of our classmates. I felt greatly saddened over the passing on of our classmate and Romblon kababayan, Rosita Tan Fonte, M.D. My heart having been recently pieced back together after several familial losses myself, is again broken.  I am sure she will be missed by the people of Odiongan, Romblon whose people she served while a staff doctor at Romblon Provincial Hospital before migrating to New Zealand with Ernesto and their family.

Their marriage was a romantic story of true love. Ernesto loved Rosita so much, that while they were in Romblon and there were no intercoastal ships nor airplanes to bring her back to Manila for our final medical school exam, Ernesto rented a boat and with the help of local folks, he piloted the boat himself to the nearest island where they could hop to an Intercoastal vessel to Manila. Rosita made it on time and of course passed our final exams.

Rosita and my Chinese mom [who died in 1995] had a very special bond of love,understanding and friendship manifested whenever Rosita traveled for hospital business to Romblon, Romblon [the capital island municipality] which is where we live. That's probably because she longed for her own biologic family especially her own mother's love and affection. So my own mother (last name ANG) who was 75% Chinese, became her surrogate Mom.

I will miss her.
      

Thanks again for the lively conversation, take care and regards to you and Roger.
       

Love,
       

Lily    [Teresita Fonte Silverio]