Felicitas Hipolito Talao

Felicitas Hipolito Talao, was born on July 8th, 1941, to Hilario and Marcelina Hipolito. She was the youngest of their 4 children. Felicitas (Fely) never met her father, who had left to fight in WWII. He died a few months after her birth. Felicitas’ mother remarried Buenaventura Catap, a widower, with 5 sons. They then had 9 more children. With 16 siblings, 13 brothers and 3 sisters, Felicitas, decided to become a nurse. She wanted to help people and her family. While working as a nurse, she took care of Bernadina Talao when she gave birth to her daughter, Grace, in June of 1966. That’s when Rogelio Talao went to visit his new niece, and saw Fely. He asked his brother, Domingo, to introduce them. From there, he began to court her. He won over her mom, by bringing her mangoes. It was a short courtship as they married the following month on July 16th, 1966. Since Rogelio was in the Navy they lived in many places - Hawaii, Rhode Island, Japan, New Jersey, to name a few. She worked as a school nurse in Japan, and in various hospitals all over the country. In 1973, they welcomed their oldest daughter, Rosie. They lived in Japan, New Jersey, and then California in 1978. They first lived in Alameda, while they looked for a permanent home. Finally settling on the city of Fremont, where they have lived until this day. In 1980, they welcomed their youngest daughter, Cheryl. That year, Rogelio retired from the Navy so that he didn’t go out to sea anymore. Fely worked as a nurse for 32 years. When arriving to California she worked at the old Kaiser Hospital in Hayward, and a couple of Senior Facilities, before finding a permanent home at Washington Hospital, where she worked for almost 20 years. Fely loved working and helping people, so much that on her days off she would work at another facility, like the Outpatient Center or just pick up extra shifts at Washington. She worked hard to send her kids to private school, and give them what they needed and more. Although leaving her family in the Philippines, Felicitas would visit and would always bring them candy and toys. Eventually she was able to bring her mother to America, while living in New Jersey. And then once in California, she brought her stepfather, Buenaventura over. She also got started on petitioning her siblings. That process took a very long time. Her siblings came over first beginning in 1978 and the last siblings coming in 2005. After that, it trickled down to her siblings’ children and grandchildren, with 15 arriving in 2017. Thanks to her and her husband they both brought their parents, siblings, and their families here to the United States. Fely loved to travel. She used to visit her older brother, Ruben, in Southern California. When their kids were young they took turns visiting each other. Driving from the Bay Area to Southern California, and vice versa. She went to Europe, traveling to Paris, Lourdes, Venice and seeing the pope in Rome. She went to Hawaii, Australia, and visited the Holy Land. As she got older she would go to the Philippines and stay for months at a time at her home there. Fely loved being around family, and especially enjoyed cooking for our family holiday parties. Ever since we can remember we did Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, at her house. A tradition of getting together and sharing a meal, is something we will always carry on. As families came from the Philippines, they all did one or all of these holidays at least once. Whether it was immediate family, a close friend, distant family members, they all were part of our tradition at one point or another. Fely was the first to go if someone was sick, near or far. She would be at the hospital, or hop on a plane to the Philippines. Even though she was basically home bound, she went to Southern California to see her older brother in Southern California before he passed away. She helped so many people. There was a time when she was caring for an older gentleman in the hospital. He and his wife lived with their daughter who lived far away, so it would have been hard for them to get to his follow up appointments. Fely opened her house to them, and invited them to stay with her until he was ok. That’s just how she was, always willing to help others in need. She was the best grandma. She spoiled them, praised them, and let them do just about anything they wanted. She’d tell them “good job” and give them money. Spoiled them at the store, and always bought them all the snacks they loved. She and my dad would drop everything to be able to watch them. Her grandkids miss her dearly. She was a huge part of their lives. Fely was a fighter, on her way back from her trip to Europe in 1997; Felicitas became paralyzed from the waist down. Finding out later that she had cervical fusion. Sadly she had to stop working, but she worked hard and after surgery and rehab, she was able to walk again. She had several trips to the ER, and every time, she came out and would tell all the doctors she couldn’t leave yet because her daughters still needed her. They weren’t married and didn’t have kids yet. Her strength came from wanting to care for her family. This last trip to the ER, none of us could imagine the events of the last 7 weeks. Thinking she had a cold or flu. With one treatment affecting something else, she had ups and downs, until her body just couldn’t do it anymore. We told her that it was ok, we’re ok now. That’ she didn’t have to fight anymore, and she can go in peace. We finished college, and worked in our careers, not just jobs. She was able to see us with our families, and experience being a grandma. She saw her siblings come here, and bring their families. Something she waited for, for a very long time. Just about everything she sought out to do she achieved. Felicitas is survived by her daughter, Rosie and her husband, Jerome, and her grandsons, Carlo and Jerome. Her daughter, Cheryl and her husband, Donny, and her granddaughters, Elysia and due in June 2020, Calista. Her siblings: Eliseo, Roberto, Ricardo, Rogelio, Pepito, Rodrigo, Norma, Rosauro, Renato, and her many cousins, nieces, nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews. Felicitas was preceded in death by her husband, Rogelio, her parents, her sisters, Teresita and Eladia, her brothers, Ruben, Rodolfo, Francisco, Vicente, and Toradio. Mom, we all thank you for everything you have done for us and taught us. Your strength, determination, thoughtfulness, loyalty, commitment and love will continue through us. We will miss you but know that you can now rest peacefully knowing we’re all ok. Rest in peace. We love you. Visitation will be held on Monday, April 13, 2020, 9 to 11 AM with a Chapel Service at 11 AM, at Fremont Memorial Chapel, 3723 Peralta Boulevard, Fremont. Burial to follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, 26320 Mission Boulevard, Hayward.

Felicitas Hipolito Talao

July 8, 1941 - March 16, 2020