Teresita D. Pasa : In Memoriam

*****

On behalf of the entire family, thank you all for coming.

One of the brightest lights in the universe entered the world on July 15, 1943.

Teresita Diño—later known as Teresita Pasa, and to us, “Mom”—was born to her parents, Jose and Paz Diño, and for 82 years, she lived her life with purpose. Everything she did, she did for something greater than herself–whether it was for her family, her job, the various volunteer opportunities she engaged with, or for God through the church. She lived for others, taking precious little for herself, either physically or emotionally. She loved all of her communities and working with them, trying to put good into the world wherever she could.

When we all came around—first, Dad, then her children, Cristina, Mireya, and finally, me—she dedicated her life to us, always making sure we had what we needed. From late nights with sick children to late nights with children who didn’t want to do their homework to late nights figuring out the household bills with Dad to late nights soothing grief-stricken broken hearts to those early morning soccer games to early morning field trips to early morning cheerleading at basketball games to early morning masses that needed to be served to early morning Lions Club events with Dad, and everything in between… she took on a lot to make sure we didn’t have to take on too much. She threw herself into everything, even if it was kicking a soccer ball around with us in the backyard or helping us with school projects.

We didn’t know it then–we just figured it was what a parent should do.
But what we’ve known for a long time was that it was love.
Love for her family and our endeavors.
And kindness.

It was considerably rare that cross words came from her mouth about someone; when they did, it was often balanced with helping us see that things might be difficult for that person. She always took the better path when dealing with people, knowing full well that everyone is struggling in their own way. Simply not adding to their struggles was NOT quote-unquote “the least we could do”; no, the least we could do was to try to make their lives better by showing kindness. She had one of the best role models for love and kindness in her own mother, and Mom made sure to pass it on to all of us through word and example. Even when her battle with Alzheimer’s began, she would continue to stress the importance of love and kindness and the role of God in our hearts.

She devoted her life to God and the church in the same way. To me, she was the embodiment of Catholicism, practicing what Jesus taught and keeping His acceptance and love as a guiding light in her daily routines and actions. When we were kids, she could always be found helping out at church functions and being part of a community that she loved, and they loved her in return. You could also find her in the garden in their backyard, tending to the plants and birdwatching, two pastimes she absolutely lost herself in. I suppose you could extend her love of God to how she helped things grow and blossom, whether it was her plants or her children. And when the 2000s rolled around and grandchildren started entering the picture, she stepped into her new role as grandmother with everything she had. To Jonathan, Moira, Alyssa, and Ariadne, she was a source of happiness, comfort, humor, and—above all else—love. All of them felt so supported and held by her, both physically and emotionally, from when they were babies unto the present. She absolutely delighted in being a grandmother, and her grandchildren were a constant source of happiness for her.

In the film Ghost, Sam Wheat says, “It’s amazing, Molly. The love inside… you take it with you.” And that’s what we’re taking with us. Mom was love, and that is the legacy she leaves behind. Wait–that’s not entirely true. She didn’t just leave us this legacy; she made sure that we had it in us before she took flight and moved on to the infinite. And she made sure that every person she met—whether a stranger, acquaintance, friend, or her nieces, nephews, cousins, granddaughters, grandson, son, daughters, husband, sisters, brothers, mother, and father—experienced the kindness that she so epitomized. We’ve heard from friends and family that their best memories of Mom were of her smiling that radiant smile of hers and treating those she met with respect and care. Seeing the outpouring of remembrances from those outside our family drives home what a rare, wonderful, and lovely human we were all blessed with and honored to know.

Some of you knew her as Mrs. Pasa.
Some of you knew her as Tessie.
Some of you knew her as “Cristina’s/Mireya’s/Eddie’s mom.”
Some of you knew her as Lola (the Tagalog word for “grandmother”).
Some of you knew her as Tita (Tagalog for “aunt”).
Some of you knew her as your sister.
We knew her as Mom.
Dad knew her as Tess.

But really… we all knew her as one of the kindest, helpful, caring, loving persons we could ever hope to have in our lives. She was proud to know you, and we are proud to know her and to even have had the chance to be around her.

One of the brightest lights in the universe entered the world on July 15, 1943.
May the light that she truly was continue to shine forever through all of us.

Mom’s Obituary

Teresita “Tessie” Pasa of Gainesville, VA, began her life’s adventure in the Philippines on July 15, 1943. Born in Sorsogon City to Jose and Paz Diño, she grew up with four siblings, eventually graduating from the University of Santo Tomas with a degree in Journalism. In the 1960s, she found her way to the United States, where she met Reynaldo (“Rey”) Pasa. They married in 1969 and started their family the next year with their first daughter, Cristina; Mireya would follow, with Eduardo (“Eddie”) rounding out the family a year later. In 2001, she became a grandmother for the first time with the arrival of her only grandson, Jonathan; two granddaughters, Moira Paz and Alyssa, came next, and Ariadne completed her collection in 2012. She maintained successful longtime employment at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC, where she was beloved by the staff that worked with her until she retired in the early 2000s.

All throughout Tessie’s life, she found ways to share happiness and love with those around her, notably through her many volunteer efforts and all that comes with being the mother of three children who were involved with school functions, sports, and the many friends they had. Tessie led her life in the service of the good that can be found in places big and small; she brought joy to many people’s lives not just by being present, but by being someone who cared enough to be involved. Among her endeavors that brought her happiness were singing in various choral groups (church choirs, Women of Note, Sentimental Journey Singers, and others) and being a member of several church committees and programs, such as the SHARE Committee at St. Michael’s in Annandale, VA, and being a Eucharistic minister. After traveling the world and many years full of wonder with Rey and her family, her life’s adventure ended on December 9, 2025, but her spirit and the extraordinary amount of love she gave her family and friends lives on.

Tessie was preceded in death by her parents, Jose and Paz Diño, and her brother Ricardo. She is lovingly remembered by her husband Rey; daughter Cristina, her husband David Gibson, and their children, Jonathan and Alyssa; daughter Mireya and her husband Richard Stirzaker; son Eddie, his wife Jenn Carlson, and their children, Moira Paz and Ariadne; sister Guia Postal and family; the surviving family of her brother Ricardo; sister Josefina Arevalo and family; brother Jerry Diño and family; and the many, many family members and friends whose lives she touched immeasurably.

Our deepest gratitude is extended to Dr. Edward Daniel and the caring staff at Patient Centered Services, all of whom became like family to us during this journey.