Obituary for Lolita Ouano (Buhay)
January 4, 1942 - November 5, 2020
Our beloved mother, Lolita Buhay Ouano, passed away surrounded by her family in the early evening of November 5, 2020. We are heartbroken without her.
Our mother moved from her home in the province of Cebu in the Philippines to immigrate to Canada in 1973. She left behind everything and everyone she knew in search of a better life for her young family. If it wasn’t for her and our dad’s sacrifice, we would never have received the opportunities that shaped who we are today. Our mom and dad, Ernesto Ouano, had been married for 57 years.
Everything our mother did was for the benefit of her family and loved ones. A devout Catholic, she was the definition of selflessness, devotion, and generosity. Most of all, she had an unending capacity to love. She did so much for us, tirelessly and without complaint, while working long hours, raising four kids, and managing the entire household. She taught us to work hard, to be kind, to enjoy life’s simple pleasures, and to love fiercely. We were so fortunate to have such an incredible woman as our mother.
We shared our mother with many others who considered her a second mom, a second lola, or a favourite aunt. Our mom will always be known as Tita Lita to multiple generations of cousins, second cousins, kids young and old who aren’t even related to us. She adored babies and children, and she happily made herself available to help new parents and to give her support whenever someone needed it.
Our mother’s maiden name is Buhay, which means life in our language. She certainly lived up to her name, squeezing every moment she could to embrace life to the fullest. She was fearless; she loved going on adventures and travelling. She was curious about everything, especially how other people lived their lives and how they cooked their food. She never stopped asking questions and finding beauty in all things. She made friends easily wherever she went.
Her heart though was rooted in her homeland, especially Cebu. She was our connection to our culture and she remembered every name, every detail about her young life there, no matter how much time had passed. We loved hearing her stories about climbing coconut trees and how she met our dad. But she told her stories best through her cooking. Her food told us everything we needed to know about where we came from. And anyone who’s ever eaten our mom’s cooking can attest to the love she poured into every tasty morsel. She was renowned in our family for her culinary skills, and she made sure everyone had plenty to eat before she would sit down to eat herself. During her last days, she taught her caregiver how to cook our favorite meals so that she could rest knowing we were fed well.
We will miss dearly our mom’s sparkly eyes and impish grin. Her contagious laughter. Her warmth and happiness that would fill a room. The way she would tilt her head and listen intently to what we had to say. We will miss everything about our mom. And every time we eat chicken adobo or pancit or biko or binignit or any number of other dishes she made, we will remember our mom’s version of it and miss her even more.
Jenny, Sandy, Freddy, Roddy
To view and share photos, condolences, and stories of Lolita, please visit www.choicememorial.com or click on the tabs above.
To view the Celebration of Life Video please click on this Link
Thank you for being a part of our mother’s life. She loved all of you very much.