Obituary
To the woman I owe my life, Dharma Marie Aldapi-Stevens, you have been an angel on earth and now are angel in heaven. 😇
I am so grateful you are my mother and for the time we had, although we planned many more years together. Everyone who knew you was honored to have spent time with such a giving and loving person. Your laughter filled the room, your smile infectious, your love boundless. 💗
You are amazing! Women, daughter, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, wife, niece, cousin, friend, and sister… Every role you had was fulfilled with love in your heart including your jobs as teacher, domestic violence advocate, and in-home healthcare provider. Every job you held, you worked hard at, giving your clients and students your best while always keeping their needs at the forefront. ❤️
Mommie, you are my role model, idol, best friend, protector, and mother, the best mother: selfless, giving, loving, and supportive, my biggest cheerleader and confidence booster. You made sure Lucia and I were provided for once you passed. You fought for Elijah and me, showed us how to be great parents and how to break cycles. You also assured that we connected with our family so that Elijah, Lucia and I won’t be alone. Thank you for that! ❤️
You always were present in our lives. I am blessed that you got to witness everything small and big. You never missed our milestones: Lucia’s birth and baptism, my graduation, and our wedding. You were Lucia's second mama, your granddaughter whom you called the light of your life. You went far and beyond to make sure we were happy and safe, sacrificed your needs to make sure we had everything. You raised me well teaching me respect is earned, question authority, pick my battles wisely, love God and all His creations. Be proud, but humble, be kind to all and put myself in their shoes to understand what others suffer. I am honored to be your daughter! 🤍
You were so generous, despite having so little! One of your favorite things to do was buy little gifts for your loved ones, things that reminded you of them. Many of us have a gift or two to remember you by. Celebrating holidays with you was so much fun: forcing us to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, search for eggs on Easter, cards booby trapped with glitter for birthdays… If anyone was hungry, you’d add more water to the soup and made sure we were all fed. Gorgeous Mama, you had the sweetest personality and the kindest soul! You helped everyone with whom you crossed paths, never saying “no”. All children and youngsters who came around, Ashley and my friends, were welcomed and fed. Some stayed on having no place as safe as you to go. You gave more to this world than you took. I can only hope to make you proud by following your values. I owe everything that I am, even my very life, to you! 🕯
My guardian angel, my heart is calm knowing you passed peacefully sleeping. Happiness, tranquility and love are all you wanted in life and what you most tried to give to others. What I would do to hold your soft, beautiful, warm hands! What I would give to have one of your great big, warm, comforting, safe, secure hugs! The night before you passed, when I hugged you goodnight, I wish I’d held on tighter and longer. Nonetheless, everywhere I go I will carry you with me.
Ecclesiastes states there is a time for everything. Lucia arrived when I so young perhaps so that you and your mother, Mama Chichi, could watch us grow and teach us how, at least for a short while before your untimely deaths. We would not have survived without you. I thought maybe I was rushing through life as such a young mother, but now I understand the rush was due to your time being short and your birthright to know your granddaughter. I still need you, Mama, and will forever cherish you. I promise to keep you and Mama Chichi alive with stories and memories. I will continue to pass down our cherished legacy of heritage, language, and culture. You both are now physically gone but have achieved honored ancestors to whom we will continue to turn for guidance and warmth.
I will continue to make you proud and do right by you. I will forever love you, Mommie, and I will always be grateful to have had you. 💞
Rest in peace, my guardian angel, until we meet again. 🙏🏽