BECKY (REBECCA OCCENA RAMIREZ) A EULOGY 9/4/23
For those of us at UPMASA (University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society in America) Delaware Valley Chapter, Becky was easy to love.
From the beginning she was spry, engaging. generous and eager to participate. Her home was always open to us, unhesitatingly offered as a venue for our meetings. An excellent cook and baker, Becky treated us not only to the warmth of her home but to her delightful culinary creations. Together with Buddy ( Carlo Ramirez also Class 85) , we were blessed with an up and coming power couple destined to be the forefront of our chapter’s next generation of leaders.
We were shocked by the sudden news of her impending death, the culmination of her battle with a chronic illness that turned south quickly in the past few weeks. Becky was a very private person, we learned, and she had no desire to burden us with news of her condition, instead, she was determined to go at it alone, with Buddy. She was even more determined to ensure that we thought of her- even in her last days- at her engaging best, and not one fractured by illness.
Those of us who knew her and loved her are left with the paradox of nursing the wish to have been able to provide her support on one hand or be accepting of her wishes on the other, leaving us wondering what could have been, but then thankful that for a time, we shared simple but joyful moments. A lively conversation, a forever smile, a memorable dish, laughter in her home, set now against the knowledge of her resilience and courage to the end.
We tend to a bittersweet longing for our genuine Becky, her unforgettable smile now gone from our present but her laughter forever present in our hearts.
Becky, May God speed you into His arms.
Miguel L. de Leon, MD
Past President
UPMASA Delaware Valley Chapter