Obituary of Leonila de la Costa ROSALES

March 23, 1929 – February 18, 2012 Leonila (Nell) de la Costa Rosales of Montreal and recently of Calgary, passed away on Saturday, February 18, 2012, following a long illness, at the age of 82 years. Nell is survived by her daughters, Virginia of Boston and Victoria (Robert Marr); and two grandchildren, Samantha and Abigail, of Calgary. She is also survived by her sisters, Ofelia C. Concon of Vancouver, Cleofe C. Tolentino of Los Angeles; her brothers, Tom (Michotte) of Toronto, Vicente (Tess) and Roberto (Marice) of Manila, Philippines and their respective families. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, José; her son, Roberto; her brothers, Senen, Remigio, and Ricardo; and her sisters, Mary and Bonnie. Other relatives include Delia Zaraspe of Los Angeles and Amor (José) Tolentino of Montreal and their families. She is also survived by dear friends, Dr. Earl and Mrs. Mary Wynands, Dr. Concessa and Angel Matias, Dr. and Mrs. Rafaat Hannallah and Dr. Luis Cuadrado. Nell was the eldest child of Felix de la Costa and Aurora del Banco. She was born and raised in Manila, Philippines and graduated from Holy Ghost College. She moved to Boston for further studies attaining a Masters degree from Simmons College Graduate School of Library Science. In Boston, she met and married José and they had their first child, Roberto. They moved to London, England for a year and then to Montreal in 1956. They lived in Montreal for many years, moved to Halifax for six years and returned to Montreal in 1989 upon her husband’s retirement from pediatric anesthesia. They were a devoted couple, rarely apart and it is a comfort to know that they are together again with Bobby. José always told his relatives and friends that his successful professional career would not have happened without the assistance and support he received from his wife. As for Nell, her career was looking after her family and it was a career from which she never retired. She was a gentle soul, seen as quiet, composed, gracious and elegant but also practical and always a steady force in the family. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Pius X Catholic Church (2424 – 24th Avenue N.W.) on Friday, February 24, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. A Memorial will be held in Montreal later this year. Condolences may be forwarded through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Mrs. Rosales to the J.K. Rosales Library at the Pediatric Anesthesia Department of the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia and sent to: The Office of External Relations, MacDonald Building, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, or a charity of your choice. The family would like to thank the dedicated doctors and nursing staff of the Foothills Medical Centre (Units 36 and 61) and Rockyview General Hospital (Unit 58) for their attentive care and especially Drs. Brian Geremia and Gail Ewasechko as well as the staff at the Crowfoot Primary Care Centre and the staff of Alberta Health Services Home Care. The family would also like to give special thanks to Dr. Brian Kuwahara, a family friend for his counsel and advice during Nell’s prolonged hospitalization and Ms. Louise E. Blumer who helped care for her in the last few weeks of her life after she came home from the hospital. In living memory of Leonila Rosales, a tree will be planted at Big Hill Springs Park Cochrane by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Chapel of the Bells, 2720 CENTRE STREET NORTH Telephone: (403) 276-2296.