Obituary of Remedios Fuentes Villanueva

Remedios (Remie) Villanueva, 59, of Pembroke Pines, FL passed away on August 17, 2024. Born January 10, 1965, Remie was the 4th of 6 children of Reynaldo and Floriana Fuentes. Remie attended high school at Our Lady of Fatima Academy in Davao City, Philippines and graduated in 1982. She then pursued a Bachelor’s in Customs Administration from Holy Cross of Davao College. A dedicated employee of the City Agriculturist’s Office of Davao City, Remie served the local government for 26 years. She married Roy Villanueva in 2001, and God blessed them with three children: Jea, Chino, and Trisha Villanueva. In 2013, the 5 of them immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Throughout her life, her beautiful soul shared and radiated warmth, kindness, joy, and love to the people around her. Many traits can describe Remie, but they all become understatements—falling short of capturing the true extent of her character as a wife, daughter, sister, mother, aunt/tita, and friend. Her children and husband would describe her as strong and selfless. The mother who drove herself to the hospital 3 times (1995, 2002, 2004) to deliver her children is also the wife who held on to her life with all her Herculean might to wait for Roy to reach the hospital from the airport and share a final moment with him. The first few years of living in a new country proved unstable and unpredictable, yet her unwavering resolve anchored the 5 of them in the most trying times. At one point, she even juggled working 3 jobs. No matter how busy she was, she never grew tired of preparing the best-homecooked meals and delectable desserts. Her siblings would describe her as generous. They grew up with her and had the invaluable gift of spending the most time with her; ask them about her, and their accounts could easily form a 5-part anthology. Her friends would describe her as radiant. Radiant like a multifaceted gem that shone in the times they spent together in weekend getaways, the badminton court, dinners around Davao, or parties she hosted. A natural comedian, Remie can also brighten a space or someone’s day with witty and ingenious jokes that second-hand accounts cannot do justice. Her co-workers from Davao and Pembroke Pines would describe her as a jack of all trades. Throughout her career, she worked mostly in an office-style environment. Although the job expectations in a City Hall, a dialysis clinic, or a waste management facility vary, her incomparable work ethic garnered her highly transferable skills that made her excel as a rare workforce chameleon. She also took pride in cooking potluck trays of pancit bihon, cassava cake, or biko that her co-workers would joyingly inhale. Every person she had the chance to work with can all agree that if anyone can do it with grace and grit, it’s Remie. Aside from her husband and kids mentioned above, Remie is survived by her mother Floriana, her brothers Ricardo and Romeo, sisters Rizalina, Reynaflor, and Rosemarie, and her sisters-in-law Eloisa and Lyra. She is also survived by her nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her father Reynaldo Fuentes. In the coming times where you miss her, feel free to visit these places or try the foods she loved. - Vista View Park (or any park or space with a lakeside view) - Isla Pilipinas - the Strawberry/Mango kakigori from Summer Love Ice House - the Oven Baked Himalayan Sea Salt Pork Rinds from Epic Provisions (available at Whole Foods) - the Chickpea Veggie Crips from Off The Eaten Path (available at Costco) or any bag of flavored rice puffs/crisps - McDonald’s Fries - Helados Mexico Ice Cream Bars (especially Strawberry) - Chifles Garlic Plantain Chips - Ube flavored things (like the ube ice cream in a halo halo) - bulad (dried fish) - shrimp dishes (like the honey walnut shrimp from Panda Express) - luglug from Cecil’s Bakeshop in Davao City - compilations on YouTube of Pilipinas/America’s/UK’s Got Talent shows or The Voice - Small Laude’s YouTube vlogs The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Remie’s friends from the Philippines, Pembroke Pines, and other places around the world, who have all been very supportive during this time. In Repose Saturday August 24, 2024 from 11:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M. at the Joseph A. Scarano Pines Memorial Chapel. Funeral Mass will be held on Monday August 26, 2024 at 10:00 A.M. at St. John XXIII Catholic Church, cremation to follow. Please keep the Fuentes Villanueva Family in your Thoughts and prayers. The Joseph a Scarano Pines Memorial Chapel is honored to assist the family with the arrangements. 954-438-8222.